
^. 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

%p....r'.. inp^ttglt f 0. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




f^^iS^ J/^^u-O^ 



THE 



HORSE'S RESCUE. 



BY 



GERARD DOAN, 

FOa FOETY-ONE YEAKS A WOEKER ON THE HORSE. 




"I don't go much on religion, 

For I never liave liacl anj show, 
But I've fjot a miglity tight grip on 
Tlie few things that I know." 




NEW YORK : 
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR 

1882. 



Entered according to Act of Conp^ress in the year 1882, 

By GERARD DOAN, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 






INTRODUCTORY. 

Of coarse all scientific men of advanced and devel- 
oped minds well know it is necessary to have refer- 
ences in order to introduce any great science with 
success; and at this daj it requires noted men, men 
of good standing, men of honor, men that have been 
tried, men that are located and well established, in 
order for references to carry any influence with 
them. There have been all kinds of humbugs, as 
they are called by some. The people have been duped 
in so many ways that it has become almost impossible 
to introduce a good thing; and after reading this work 
through you will be convinced of that fact. In this 
work there has been but a very small part told. The 
financiering necessary in oixier to make a center or 
focus of this great science, and to get it introduced 
in some great center of science, where we could get 
reliable and scientific men for refei-ences — men that 
were known all over the world nearly — for this science 
extends round the wide world, everywhere the horse 
has ever had his feet ironed. After many years of 
hard labor this was accomplished. This firm is known 
as D. M. Osborn k Co., with which the well-known 
inventors and scientific men are connected, Cyrenus 
Wheeler, Mr. Kirby, and O. H. Burdick. Such men 
as these are not going to give themselves away by 
allowing their names to be used to back up any 



6 INTRODUCTORY. 

science without knowing what tliey are about. They 
:ill hnve liad and seen this work done and watclied the 
result, and many others in Auburn cit3^ This is 
where thij^great center of science is located of D. M. 
Osborn k Co.; this is where the great center of this 
horse science is now well established, and this is to be 
one of the great centers; this, too, must, like all other 
businesses, in order to be successful, be systematized 
and introduced on the principles of science. I could 
give you scores of names to back this work up — some 
are many miles away, and some hundreds, where 
I have worked and my brothers in different places on 
the horse. That is not necessary, as Auburn city is 
to be the center. I will give you a few men's names 
that will be worth more than a score of some, and 
here they are. 

After vou read this work carefullv throusfh, and 
look at your horse, you can easily see how^ this all is. I 
could get hundreds of names to put in this work, if it 
was the bi<ro-est humbusr that was ever written, bv ask- 
ing them. To prove this work to be a valuable one, 
test it ; then you will know ; you always will be in the 
dai'k unless you do, The trouble is and always has 
been that nearly all have learned this science out 
of selfish motives ; they would keep' it all to them- 
selves in order to make money fast out of it. This is 
not my intention. I want all to know how this work 
is done. I will show and teach all mankind. If I 
would not be willing to do this, this book is wrongly 
named. This book is the teacher. I do not know as 
I can work on the horse much more. My health is 
failing fast ; persecution and abuse have had something 



INTRODUCTORY. 7 

to do with its failing. I will go back to mj boyhood 
days and show you where I and all others must begin. 

The first mechanical work T ever did in my life 

Was to make a sled out of shingles, my tool was a jackknife. 

With a rickety knife I bored the runners throut;-h, 

It A\ as all the tool I had, 'twas the best that T could do. 

The next job for me to see what luck I would have to make 
A small bundle of ax-helves T would undertake ; 
Of course these were all small children's toys — 
I was just like all other children and little boys. 

I made small ships, sloops, and every kind of boat; 
In my mother's rainwater trough I set them afloat; 
After a while I traded off some of my toys, 
And got a gimlet of one of the neighbors' boys. 

Then I must make a sled that would be of use oi boards 
With this gimlet tlie holes tlirough the nmners I bored; 
There must be more tools added to my kit, 
1 cannot make the holes large enough with this gimlet bit. 

These lioles in these runners must bigger be. 

Or it will not be strong enough to hold up me; 

These lioles nuist be made bigger by running a hot iron through — 

It must be made strong enough to hold \ip two. 

After making several sleds in this way 
They did not suit. They had to be repaired every day. 
They were poor and rickety things at the best — 
Were soon all in pieces, but a few days they'd last. 

On this sled business there must be some improvement made; 
Some of us boys will get hurt with these sleds, I am afraid. 
They must have the beams cut in tl.ie top like a dove's tail, 
And a board put all over the top and all sohd nail. 

This proved safer and a great deal better to be, 

Now two could ride in safety, sometimes three. 

I had learned quite a good deai at the sleigh-making trade 

When this improvement on my sleiglis I had made. .^^^, 



8 INTRODUCTORY. 

The next improvement was frame with pin beams, 
Like those 3'0ii see drawn around with ox teams. 
Next I made with mortise and tenon, beam; and knee, 
Quite a sleigh maker 1 was getting to be. 

"Wagons and carts I made and improved in this way, 

And some had to be repaired nearly every day. 

If any of these wagons or sleighs sliould liappen to break 

They would come to me for repairs or new ones I must make. 

I had quite a business in that line and trade; 

I made the girls and boys happy — no charges I made. 

It was plenty paj^ enough for me them to sec. 

After I liad got their work done, how happy tliey would be I 

There were trades of other kinds I was learning too — 

Of my mother T learned to knit, mend, and sew. 

My mother has got feather tick pillows I made the first I learned to 

sew, 
Thorn I made for her over forty-five years ago. 

Shirts, pants, vests, and all kinds in that line of trade, 
When I was a small boy I repaired and new J. made; 
Pants and vest I cut and other garments, and made them too, 
To cut and make a coat that I never tried to do. 

To know how to do this work has been of use to me — 

I could mend my own clothes no -natter where I would be ; 

I have been where I have mended other's while to bed they had to go, 

For this reason — they tliemselves did not know how to sew. 

The cap trade I took up— I had lots of little brothers; they did t: 

surround. 
1 must make them some caps. For foundation I used old straw liats' 

crown. 
The first I made was round on top, covered with green, 
Cut goring with a button on top. It was the funniest cap ever was 

seen. 

The next cap I made the foundation on top was flat 
Of course 1 had to make my work to fit that. 
The cloth that I made it of was dark blue. 
That was a nicer color, and the style was better too. 



INTRODUCTOItr. ^ 

These caps the front piece was made of old boot legs, 
Eacli one covered with the same cloth it was made. 
These caps were both lined with different colors too; 
They were very good caps — it was then the best I could do. 

The shoemakers trade I must try that work to do. 
No lasts I had; them first I will liave to make too. 
The children's feet all vary in many different degree, 
And 1 must liav a pair that will fit me. 

In an old woodshed these lasts were made 
With an ax and an old jackknife blade; 
With my gimlet I bored the holes through 
To make a place to pull the last out of the shoe. 

A string I tied in the hole to pull out the last, 

For sometimes I would get my shoes all pegged fast 

1 got along very well for a while in this way ; 

1 would like to hav a hook to pull the last — sometime I may. 

My pegging awl and pegs them 1 all made 

When I commenced first to work at the shoemaker's trade, 

After my kit and stock all rigged I had got. 

In my father's old kitchen 1 opened my shop. 

My father had a large family. There was always leather round, 
Go up garret at any time there it could be fonnd. 
With five or six little brothers all gathered around me, 
How this work was going to be done they all wanted to see. 

Thiough the course of the day I had made some progress at this 

trade — 
I had repaired several pair of shoes — no charges 1 made* 
As we sat m front of the old fireplace in a half circle round, 
My father was a chopper. He came in with liis ax and with us sat 

down. 

My father was as hard working man a^i ever you see, 
He soon had las lap full of children — two on each knee. 
After working all day in the woods in the cold, 
All the evening this lap full of children he would hold. 



10 INTRODUCTORY. 

The eliildroii gathered round him, showed him the work I had done. 
He said to me, If you can do as well as that you had better keep on. 
This of course encouraged and very much pleased me, 
My work was being appreciated by him, I could see. 

lify father was a good farmer — all kinds of that work he understood — 
And all the work he did he always did good. 
His word could alwa^^s be relied on no matter where he would be; 
An honester kinder-hearted man no man ever see. 

My father never tried much mechanical work to do — 
Make beetles, his ox sleds with wood he could shoe. 
To dress a beef or hog, and all worK of that kind, 
No better man for that in the country could they find. 

He always had something every day to do, 

No matter how cold, how much the snow and wind blew. 

For him to work there was never a day too cold. 

And tills he kept up until he was very old. 

He kept right on one steady course, you can see, 

As ]ir()vider for his family no better could be. 

Through cold winds and drifting snow, out all day in the cold. 

Nights in this half circle a lap full of children he would hold. 

I was next oldest of this large family of boys ; 
I liad plenty of work all of the time to keep them in toys; 
There was eleven boys in this family grew up to be men; 
Seven boys first, then two girls, then boys again. 

There were two boys that died when they were quite young. 
1 assure you to support this family, some work had to be done. 
A truer and better man in a family than my father could not be; 
How ho carried this heavy load has always puzzled mo. 

Tt was all done by hard knocks, the sweat of the brow ; 

If you want to know how it was done, ask him; he can tell you how. 

My father was a largo, powerful, strong-built man; 

To do better work, and more in a day, very few can. 

He supported his own family, and helped others too, 
And this, wlierever he could, he was always ready to do. 



INTRODUCTORY. 11 

r have seen him on trees chopping, that was four feet through ; 

All alone, coat, vest, and liat off, no matter how hard the wind blew. 

And this, too, after he had got to be quite old. 

I never heard Inm say, I cannot go to the woods to-day, it is too 

cold. 
Day after day to the woods to chop he would go, 
And his hair had got to be now as white as the snow. 

And at night he would by this old fireplace sit down, 
With his children help form a half circle around. 
First there must be a big back-log put on. 
And that too he almost invariably done. 

I have thought what fools on this earth some folks must be ; 

Such a man as that his worth they cannot see. 

He would work early and late, and it was not for gold; 

He would suffer himself to feed and shelter others from the cold 

My poor father passed away many years ago. 

Whether he will be rewarded in the next life I do not know. 

I would as lief take his chance as any man I ever see. 

To be a better man than he was I can't see how it could be. 

Tlie course he took, it always seemed right to me; 
And never in life did he and I ever disagree. 
We did business together for a very long time; 
A more honorable, honest man no man can fin(i 

To forget my father, that will be impossible to be. 
His life must always be stamped indelible with me; 
And after I pass from this life, if him T do not see, 
In the next life, heaven will be no heaven to me. 

When I was a small boy, to help my father I would try; 
I would make him some ax-lielves, them he all liad to buy. 
I made a lot, put them up garret in a barrel to dry; 
There is no telling what a boy can do if he will try. 

My father used up many ax-helves, you must know ; 
There was many ways they would give, and sometimess by a mishlow. 
This stock of ax helves I did not show liim or liave them around; 
They were not dry yet, in a short tii^e them I see he \\a,d found. 



12 INTRODUCTORT. 

Them T see were going to be of use and help to him, 

Then making ax-helves I went at it again. 

Of these I kept on liand a small supply, 

Wliile my helves could be found in the barrel no helves would he buy. 

Somewhere about this time I went to learn the blacksmith trade: 
At that time I was about fourteen years of age , 
To go to work at that busmess my father opposed it some; 
That is very hard business, I am afraid you are too young, 

I was very anxious to learn a trade, some place to find 

To learn the blacksmith trade, I had not thought of, that was Tiot the 

kind. 
The carpenter's trade, when I was a boy, was what I wanted to learn. 
It is curious sometimes how quick our course is turned. 

At this at first I commenced on a very small scale. 

The first thing I tried to make was a }\orse nail. 

Small hammers, jewsharps, hooks to catch the trout^ I made, 

Repaired old gun-locks, put in tubes and jackknife blades. 

Of this kind of work I always had some on hand to do. 

In order to learn this trade I must always be trying something new. 

To make a gun, that, too, I must try and see if could make. 

I got along very well, all but the mainspring, that would break. 

Several locks for this gun I made, all new ; 

The mainspring would break, the very best I could do 

How many springs I made, of course I do not know ; 

There was a great many : every time I tried tliem, clung they would go. 

I learned in springs the temper must very low be. 

After making and breaking many you can see, 

And the steel varies to a very great degree. 

That. too. I did not know at that time; thai bothered me. 

1 did learn after a long time these sprmgs to make. 
And could do it very quick, and they would not break. 
No receipt can be laid down that is good for tempering steel; 
In aU degrees steel varies quite a great deal. 

Many different kinds of mechanical work I have tried to do; 
Tlje art of taking likenesses, tha|; J have worked at Ukj. 



INTRODUCTORY. 13 

At Che time when the cheinicais we all made, 

I did not work at that long, I did not like that trade. 

For many reasons, of tliem I will give you a few; 

They all wanted me to make handsome pictures, that I could not do. 

There always would be a lot standing or sitting a^ound : 

Find fault with these pictures they would, or the background. 

They all wanted a handsome picture, all the san^e, young and old. 
A good likeness of themselves was quite hard to be sold. 
Ko matter how dark the sitter was, they all must be white; 
To suit them they must be nearly burned up with the light. 

Then they must all be painted, and colored up, too ; 
Unless they were daubed in this way they would not do. 
I got tired of taking good pictures to spoil in this way, 
About that kind of business I shall have no more to say. 

A carriage I can make; iron, pamt, stnpe. and trim it. too. 
Houses I have painted and worked on ; some 1 have built new. 
The mason trade, I never did much of that kind. 
To be a good mason, it wants some practice, I find. 

I have plastered and laid quite a good deal of stone wall • 
To build a chimney of brick, that stuck me the worst of all 
To build a nice chimney, it is quite a knack to do; 
To have the brick all lie level and carry it up true. 

To build only one brick chimney in my life did I try 

And that was all daubed and winding before it was two feet liiy-h. 

I could not keep it true, do the best I could do, 

So I plastered it inside and out; the smoke could get through. 

To know how to do this work has always been of use to nio. 
There was always some work to do, no matter where I would bo. 
It all kept me busy, and I was learning, too. 
What does r. man amount to with nothing to do ? 

Nearly all of these trades I dropped off, one by one • 
Some I dropped off many years ago, when I was quite voung. 
The horses' feet nearly all of my life I have worked ou 
And at that yet I have not got done. 



14 INTRO D U CTOR Y. 

Nearly all kinds of saws, them I have worked on, too; 
To make a saw, tliat I never tried to do. 
I liavc filed, set, giiunned, and re-tecthed some new; 
Circular.-; i) work on is quite a science, and keep them true. 

Not nuieh work did I ever do at the harness trade. 
Only repair; once a bridle, martingales, circinglo I made. 
At the machinist business, that, too, 1 have turned my hand; 
The principles to do that work on I quite well understand. 

Jf you want to malcc a macliine, and have it good work do, 
Erom the center yon must work, and make all true. 
One great center you must liave, that you ought to knocv, 
And all must run in liarmouy, or to piecos it will go. 

It is the same witli the horse, if you will look 3011 can see, 
For him to move well, in harmony of action all must be. 
On him for many years I have spent iiearly a!l of my time, 
For he needs help, he is a great sufferer, I find. 

There are a great many kinds of work I have done and understock. 
Of course I had learned something before I could write a book. 
The science on the horse is all I ever perfect made, 
And to do that T had to leave beliind every other trade. 

On them, others have sailed far in advance of me in their line; 
For this reason, my tmie has been spent on the horse, yon find ; 
A man cannot carry along so many trades and excel, 
If he perfects only one in life he will do very well. 

To write poetry is quite a science, too, I find ; 
To make all I'un smooth, and make all rhyme, 
Five parts have got to be carrried at the same time; 
Compose, spell, write, convey, and make all rhyme. 

After writing awhile I think at that T can do well; 
What bothers me the most is to all words spell. 
There are so many things that all have the same name, 
Ti I do not spell them all right, I ought not to be to blame. 

My main object in writing this book is tlic horse to rescue; 
And if you will read it, and study the liorse, that it will do; 
And after you have learned this science no man can fool you 
Much on stiff horses ; if they do it will be only on a few. 



SCIENTIFIC WORKS OF GERARD 
DOAN ON THE HORSE. 

By experience and experimenting for forty-one 
years, by practical work as a borseshoer, by study- 
ing' the natural horse and all of the changes from the 
natural to the unnatural and their effect in all of the 
different changes, I find the noble animal, roan's and 
woman's favorite, in a suffering and deformed con- 
dition, which I shall explain in this work, and stand 
ready to demonstrate and. teach to seekers after 
knowledge and the truth. 

Everything is a mystery' until it comes to light; 
then it becomes a common thing when understood, like 
the telegraph, and all things, man being a progressive 
being. The seekers after knowledge get it; that 
is the way this great discovery was made, through 
great mental and practical labor, and with but little 
help or reward. A large part of my hard-earned 
money has been used to perfect this work, but it is 
the long-winded horse that wins the race. Riglit 
here, I will say, I will introduce the principles laid 
down in this book or die a pauper. They are all 
facts, and have been demonstrated hundreds of times 
by J. J. Doan, of Auburn city, Cayuga Co., N. Y., 
and by Oliver Doan, of the same place. They are 
skillful operators. The horses are all, or nearly all, that 



16 THE horse's rescue. 

have been shod one year, changed from natural, 
more or less, some way; it being the natural conse- 
quence, it not being natural for the liorse to have l;is 
feet ironed. When the horse gets stiff or lame, he is 
called by the ignorant, foundered. Tlie}^ think or talk 
that they had watered or fed them to warm, or fed 
them too much. All the argument they can bring is, 
he was stiff after they had fed or watered him. Al- 
most all men water and feed their horses three times a 
day, and it must be soon after the feed if ever they 
get stiff. This word " founder '" has been in use for hun- 
dreds of years, and, for all of that, it has no meaning; it 
does not tell how and where the animal is affected 
only he is lame and stiff, he is incurable. So say the 
ignorant pretenders to gj-eat wisdom on the horse. 
This stiffness is classed in four different kinds of 
founder — water, grain, plank, and chest founder. 
Some said they are affected one way and some in 
another'; all disagree, and none cure or remove 
the cause. I differ with them all. I have long 
known what ailed these horses, and can remove the 
cause, and will explain it all in this work, and pro- 
duce plenty of honest and scientific men that have had 
and seen it done; and, as strange as it ma}^ appear, it 
requires no medicine to do this wonderful woik. Ee- 
move the cause, and nature repairs the damages. 
This work is confined to the feet, tracmg cause to ef- 
fect and effect to cause. 

I might as well say here what removing the cause 
does. It lets nature have a chance to repair damages ; 
it does its work very quick; it cures water, grain, chest 
and plank founder; perished shoulders; it straightens 



THE horse's rescue. 17 

the leg, called the tip-knee; straightens cocked ankles, 
cures corns, coffin-joint lamenesses, the ambler, shuffler, 
spring-halt; horses that hop behind when speeding; the 
single-footer. These names are known and understood 
by horsemen. It removes all air puffs from the 
horse, and makes him the perfect natural horse. 
These changes are not seen only by a very close 
observer of long practical experience. It took me a 
long time. It was clothed and buried in mystery. 
The first horse I ever shod was a cripple. One foot 
was so bad it could not be shod ; I have shod 
cripples ever since, and they are all over the world, so 
far as I have been. There have been hundreds of 
books written on the horse, and they seem to be the 
same thing continued — doctoring the effect; finding a 
sore place, and making it worse. 

It is not my intention in this work to travel that 
old field over again, and rehearse all of the cruelty and 
barbarism that I have seen practiced on the already 
suffering horse, called doctoring. My intention is to 
introduce something to relieve suffering. I said I use 
no medicine to cure these horses. For fear you may 
think I perform some surgical operation, I will state 
here I do nothing of the kind. I do not draw blood 
on the horse ; it is hard work to do it, but it is busi- 
ness. It's no miracle or miraculous thing; it is science. 

I use these v^ords, founder, ambler, single-footer, 
and other names, or people would not understand what 
I am talking about. The fact is, it is all summed up 
in these words: Horses are changed from natural in 
many ways and many stages, which I will explain on 
principles which will not lie. 



18 THE HORSF/S hESCUE. 

This work will be arranged on scientific principles, 
with a foundation and superstructure tliat will stand, 
based, ns it is, on truth, facts, and principles that men 
cannot supersede, if thej equal. These principles vou 
have got to know. To cure the horse, jou must make 
him natural. I have read some books on the horse, but 
I could find nothing in them to clear the fog awa}^, no 
system. There were receipts to cure these difficulties 
the horse was in, which I well knew were of no kind of 
use, onlv to make bad worse. I continued mv search. 
It has been a hard road to travel so far. I am getting 
off of the subject ; I do not want to write my life in 
this work. I will explain in this work the effect in 
all of the different changes, changing back to natural. 
1 do not intend, for the sake of making a large book, 
to write much more than enough to convey what I 
want to on the horse ; the simpler and lesscom[^licated, 
the easier learned and understood. For fear the reader 
mio-ht misconstrue what I have written before, I will 
say here I do not mean to be understood that 1 will 
make all of these lame and deformed horses natural; 
there are some that are past help, Jind this work does 
not take up blemished horses, such as ring-bones and 
spavins, curb-splints, thoi-ough-pins. I pronounce the 
ring-bone incurable; it is a bone affection, and the 
spavin the same. Ring-bone destroys the structure of 
the foot; they can be lelieved some by shoeing and 
dressing the foot, for which I may give directions in this 
work. When hoi'ses are blemished — the kind 1 have 
mentioned — they have lost two-thirds of their value, 
no matter how much they were valued, as it brings 
them all down on a par, save the clean-linibed, and that 



THE horse's rescue. 19 

will be business enough. It is not the intention of 
this work to keep up this changing back to natural, 
but it will liave to be done many years before the 
people will learn these principles, and there are millions 
of horses in all stages of suffering; some are there and 
some have just started. It will be a long time before 
this will be understood. It is not the intention of this 
work to keep up the curing stiff and lame horses; the 
preventive is what I w^ant to teach and introduce; but 
before the owner can pi-event he must know how to 
cure; then, in this case, he has the preventive that I 
will explain about in the course of this w^ork, scientifi- 
cally. 

A FEW REMARKS IN DEFENSE OF THE ABUSED AND 
WRONGED HORSE-SHOER. — THE QUALIFICATIONS 
HE NEEDS TO MAKE HIM A GOOD ONE. 
He should weigh about one hundred and seventy- 
five pounds, his working weight; five feet seven inches 
tall, size around under his arras forty inches, broad- 
shouldered, short-necked, something like a bull; mus- 
cle and strength equal to the best well-fed stallion ; a 
laro-e amount of courage, physical force, firmness, and 
resolution; an inexhaustible amount of patience, so as 
to enable him to come to time when he is kicked 
across the shop, or turned a summersault; his head 
should have a reasonable amount of brains; he should 
have a mild and passive nature, so he can stand perse- 
cution without showing any signs of anger when he 
is told twenty times a day, by Jones or Tom or Jim, 
or that old" "They say," the father of all lies, 
that he has spoilt his horse, and he can never set 



20 THE HOKSK S RESCUE. 

another slioe for him, when tb<3 fault is more their 
own than the smith's, and no fault of either ofttimes, 
if it was understood, which I will show and explain in 
this work. There is no business that tries man's 
powers of endurance equal to that of horse-shoeing, 
and no class of mechanics so poorly paid, according to 
labor performed. He is expected to be there at his 
post, always pleasant, with a smile on his face when 
three or four wild colts arrive to be shod, or a vicious 
stallion, sometimes two or three, and often twenty and 
more; all want to get home to dinner. These colts 
never had a foot raised from the ground ; if they have 
it has been with a rope tied to it, and jerked at a 
while ; they call that breaking them for shoeing, when 
the fact is the owner dare not even take up a foot; yet 
the shoer is expected to get through this difficult task 
in time for dinner; during this time there are more 
arrivals, two or three old offenders, for the after-part 
of the day ; a lot of old cripples, so tortured on their 
feet that they can hardly stand, caused by ironing 
their feet; and yet he is expected to cure these old de^ 
formed horses, or he is no mechanic. They ride him 
part of the afternoon : the balance is filled up with the 
old offending kickers and strikers. They rise up on 
your knees, and throw nearly all of their weight on 
you repeatedly; and finally they smash down on your 
big toes, and off goes the nails; mine has been smashed 
off so much there is but little left, i^ nd all this is ex- 
pected to be endured for a miserable existence. Imag- 
ine the shoer's feelings, and this is to be endured daily 
until he is broken down, and crippled worse than the 
}iorse, at about fort}^ years of age. He has put his 



THE horse's rescue. 21 

streDgth against thousands of horses and mules, and it 
is surprising to me that shoeis last as long as they do 
If you want your horse well shod, give your shoer 
plenty of time to do it, and pay him well ; for no man 
can do a good job, at any kind of business, if he is 
hurried, and goes blundering along. Ironing the 
horse's foot is, or should be, the most scientific piece 
of mechanical work ever done ; and yet it is but glim- 
meringly understood. No one is to blame; all are 
studying and trying their level best to find their way 
out of this entanglement, and I have been in that same 
fix for years. 

Nine years previous to the date of this work I '' dug 
oat," which I will show in the coui-se of this work. 
The shoer is expected to do what is impossible for him 
to do, and it is unjust to blame him or hold him re- 
sponsible for your horse in an}^ way, for many reasons. 
In the first place, he does not liave your horse in his 
care, neither does he drive him.. He shoes him and 
he is gone, and the owner takes no care of his feet. 
Perliaps he exchanges for another, cr sells him — that 
is going on all the time, and always will be. The shoer 
does the best he can. The horse comes to him, his 
feet dry and hard-shrunken. He pares his feet and 
irons him. This treatment will spoil all cupping feet. 
In fact, there is no use trying to lay down any princi- 
ples to iron the horses feet to prevent him from chang- 
ing from natural, for he is traveling on unnatural feet 
all of the time, unless he is dead. There has been a 
large amount of talk about shoes, and all to no pur- 
pose. There are no curing properties in shoes. There 
is one principle that helps a little if proper care is 



22 THE horse's rescue. 

taken of the foot, and that but \evy few will do. 
I saw at the Centennial quite a number of horses' 
iioofs with printed papers on them. I read them. 
This was on them all, ''Caused b)' improper shoeing." 
Same old story. I am not going to spend my time and 
fill up this book with a lot of trash tliat has been 
talked and written for hundreds of years — a large 
amount of talk, but little knowledge that has been any 
benefit to the suffeiing horse. 

KINDS OF FEET. 

I will make a few remarks on the horses' foot — how 
to select. There are four kinds of feet on colts be- 
fore they have been ironed ; then they commence to 
change and assume all kinds of shapes hard to de- 
scribe; and it matters not what shape they are in, 
I shall show in this work I change them back to the 
natural one; that is, put the colt's foot on the horse. 
That is what I want to teach. 

The foot half way between the large flat foot and 
cupping foot is the best, for this reason : It ex- 
pands from the weight of the horse. The cup foot con- 
tracts faster. The large flat foot expands too much 
with the weight of the horse. '^J^he large peck-measure 
foot is poorest of all. It has too much membrane; it 
is too heavy, and changes quicker; it is more liable to 
get sore by ironing. They are all good enough for 
me, as I can do what I want with them. That is what 
I want to teach ; that is what all ought to know. 

HOW TO RAISE UP A GOOD STRAIGHT HORSE. 

This is the most important of all. The horse, while 
growing up fi'om a colt, is neglected, not intentionally. 



THE horse's rescue. 23 

but through ignorance in regard to his feet, and the 
effect it has. By lliis neglect his hoofs are allowed to 
grow in all shapes. They need trimming, and to be kept 
in their proper shape. A long toe does not affect the 
colt as much as it does the shod horse, for this reason : 
the structure of the foot is nearly all in harmony on 
the flat foot ; on the cup foot it is different ; the wall is 
thicker; it does not wear off as fast. I have seen a 
few, and shod them, that were stiff, that never had a 
shoe on. This kind should have their feet cared for, 
pared down heel and toe. The flat-foot seldom needs 
paring on the bottom, but his feet should be trimmed. 
Take him on the floor, hold or strap up one foot, take 
a chisel and mallet, trim all of his feet, rasp them true ; 
see if he can stand with his forward feet back of 
straight, see if he stand well back on his hind feet, 
and keep him so. If you want to see if your colt is 
growing up straight and natural, and the sti'ucture of 
his feet natural, look at the top of the heel. The heel 
is double. If the two parts are not even, the structure 
is changed from natural, and should be changed back. 
On all, or nearly all, horse kind the outside wall grows 
the fastest, and is the thickest and strongest. The 
growth raises the outside ; that throws too much weight 
on the inside, and warps or pushes up the inside heel. 
Look 3^our hoi-se over. You can equalize the weight 
bv dressing: the Vjottom. You can easily tell how this 
should be done if you look. This unequal weight pro- 
duces the same effect on colts that it does on shod 
liorses — the same unnatural strairi on the back tendons 
— warping the foot or pushing up the inside heel, 
wliich turns out the toes and causes the ankles to turn 



24 THE HORSE S RESCUE. 

in, and that makes the horse interfere. He cannot 
move well. 

The same effect is produced from the same cause if 
he is run over the opposite ; it turns his toes in, his 
ankles out. The fact is, his heels should always be 
kept as even at the top as possible. This keeps the 
foot nearly on a straight line. The point of the frog 
is the guide. Make a true circle from that point each 
way after you have got the heels even at the top. 
This will stop more horses from interfering than all 
the tinkering ever done. Of course there should be 
judgment used in dressing the foot. A long, pointed 
toe is not natural either on the horse's forward or 
hindei' feet Keep the feet natural as near as possible. 
The fact is, the colt grows up crooked for the want of 
proper care, the raisers being ignorant in regard to this 
fact, which I well know. Look at your colts, not at 
pictures of horses, if you want to study the horse. If 
you will read this book carefully, you will see these 
facts as plain as I do, and can talk horse as well. 

I have been told that I have broken myself down 
bawling "horse." My lungs are the soundest part of 
me. I could talk this twenty times faster than I can 
write it. Talk comes with the knowledge; quite a 
number of exceptions to that rule. One thing my 
mouth was made for is to talk. 

To return to the subject: I have straightened hun- 
dreds of colts' feet, although they had grown up de- 
formed and crooked. The colt comes to the shoer in 
this condition, run over, both toes out, sometimes all, 
or in. On forward legs, they come with knees thrown 
together, ankles on hind feet run over the opposite 



THE horse's rescue, 25 

throwing ankles out when moving forward feet 
pointing on two opposite lines, hind feet traveling 
in two opposite lines, ofttimes so bad that the lines 
cross each other six feet from the starting-point; 
head going on straight line. The horse gets fre- 
quently a jerk on the mouth for his awkwardness. 
If he should happen to blander he wonld be likely to 
get thrashed. Then the shoer takes a scurfing for not 
making that horse move well. " He is an old botch." 
He tries another. He is told Wood, or Doan may be, 
can shoe him so he can travel all right The colt goes 
the rounds, and the result is not good. Before I get 
thiough this work I will clear some of that fog away. 
This ends my treatise on the colt. 

A FEW REMARKS ON SELECTING A GOOD HORSE FOR 

MYSELF. 

There are many diverse tastes and different opin- 
ions and judgments in regard to the horse, so I will 
select one for myself. For the road I like a rangy 
horse, about ten hundred weight ; foot half way be- 
tween the cup and large flat foot ; short from fetlock 
down; large arm; heavy cords; leg tapering to the 
foot ; forward legs well back under ; that is, points of 
shoulders projecting well over ; not very wide between 
legs ; thin withers ; long, thin, arched neck, well cut 
out under the throat; light, clean head; large, full 
eyes ; short, straightish back ; broad hips ; round body J 
no curb joints, I never saw a horse too full at the 
breast to suit me; flat leg; middling straight hind 
leg, tapering to the feet; ribbed up close; full of 
courage and ambition. My favorite color is dark 



26 THE horse's rescue. 

mahogany bay ; black legs, mane, and tail. In choos- 
ing a horse it depends sometliing on what use you 
want to put him to. There is a variety of horses in 
shape, all good. The creator has taken as much pains 
in making the horse as it has making mankind, and 
there are about as many difierent forms and colors. 
I never saw a perfect idiot, looking the whole race 
over. I have seen lots of fools driving horses, and 
worse than fools. I am come to their rescue. The 
horse is a slave, if that word has any meaning ; and I 
think it has. There is no animal that is abused and 
suffers equal to the noble animal, the horse. He is 
tied up by his head, covered with foam and perspira- 
tion, panting for breath, in cold, bleak winds, without 
feed or water, while the driver is sitting by a com- 
fortable fire. Perhaps the clothing nature provided 
for him is all slieared off. Thus he is expected to 
stand until his driver is ready for another ride. If he 
gets in the stable daring the long, cold night, be will 
be lucky, and gets any water or feed. All foam and 
sweat, there he shivers. In the morning you can see 
him covered with frost. Such cruelty as that is hard 
for me to see and not try to do all that is in my power 
to relieve his suffering. Knowing as I do the pain h« 
has to endure, and its causes, and then sit down and 
not do my level best to help him, I think it would be 
wrong. 

My nature is such that it causes me to suffer with 
them; and I do suffer intensely, too. If I did not 
know how to relieve them, perhaps I would feel differ- 
ent. Nearly all of my life has been spent in doing all 
I could to relieve this noble animal's suffering, and 



THE horse's rescue. 27 

I have relieved it in a small degree. But it was only 
in a small field that I could work compared with this 
wholesale torturing that is going on. 

I am fifty-five years of age ; my health is giving out j 
I feel I am getting stiff, too. I have laid the ham- 
mer down to write this work to still keep up the bat- 
tle to free the suffering horse, and to see if I can work 
a larger field and on a better plan to introduce this great 
discovery that has cost me so much mental and physical 
labor for forty-one years. If I fail to introduce it, and 
let it be buried again, I have made a failure of life 
after all. 

The horse suffers greatly in many ways. The 
cause of the greatest suffering is in his feet. That I 
will explain and teach. 1 have not quit yet;, nor 
ever will, while I am alive. I do not know as I shall 
after I am what they call dead. I shall be at the front 
under all circumstances. No matter how much the op- 
position, you will find me at my post. If you want to 
know something of the suft'ering of the horse, if you 
ever had the toothach® bad, you can judge a little. 
That is no comparison to what the horse suffers. 
There is nothing it can be compared to. I will try to 
convey something of it, which I well know I have not 
the power. 

To begin, the structure of the foot is changed from 
natural in many ways and in many different stages. 
Ponder, think ! Can this take place without an effect? 
I well know it cannot. All men must see this. I ap- 
peal to all thinking naturalists and scientific men for 
their aid to help iatroduce this work. There are 
three Doan brothers. They have been battling for 



28 THE horse's rescue. 

years against a power of opposition. I assure you we 
are not ignorant of our surroundings. All great 
things are small at the beginning. Any great science 
like this is in advance of the age. The craft is in 
danger. This great discovery looms up head and 
shoulders over all. I return to the suffering horse; I 
cannot get away, from him. I said the structure of 
the foot was changed from natural. No matter how 
much or how little, or in what way, or what degree, 
the horse's suffering commences at the first change. 
The more he is changed from natural, the more in- 
tense is his suffering, until death comes to his relief. 
It will be well to mention a few cases here. While I 
was looking for one of these sufferers to demonstrate 
somethings and relieve their suffering, I went into a 
stable at Elmira. There I saw one of thousands of 
cases like this, lying in a small, unventilated place, on 
a pile of manure — a fine 3^oung horse, with sores on his 
sides. I asked how long he had been in that condi- 
tion. I think they said about three months. I asked 
what ailed the horse. They said he had bruised his 
feet working in the stone quarrj^ He was gnawing 
his feet, and had holes gnawed at the top of the hoof. 
There were marks of teeth all over his feet. He was 
not what I was in search of. I tried to buy him. 
They said he was a fine horse. It would take some 
money to buy him. How much, I asked, will it take? 
"One hundred and fifty dollars." That horse died; 
and, worse than all, his shoes were on. He was com- 
pletely paralyzed. I well knew what ailed him — cup 
foot badly contracted, or, in other words, changed 



THE horse's rescue. 29 

from natural; bis eyes looked sunken, staring, and 
glassy. 

There are thousands in tins same condition. 
Ponder, think, I say, again ; look at your horse after 
you have looked this work through. That is the 
place to look. Study the horse as I have done; 
understand there are all stages of these changes, and 
always a beginning. There is the end above men- 
tioned. What do you think I wanted of that horse 
on that pile of manure ? I wanted to relieve his suf- 
fering : You say, "Why didn't you?" They would 
not let me. They called me a "damned old lunatic.'' 
That did not affect me any ; that had become a com- 
mon thing many years before. I have been told so 
much that I am crazy, not being a judge of lunacy. 
I was in Lincoln, Nebraska, some two years ago. 
They have a lunatic asylum there. It struck me it 
would be a good time to test my case. They have 
several hundred lunatics in that asylum. It was Sun- 
day. It is their custom to get them, or nearly all of 
them, in one room, then sing. I got permission to go 
in. They did not act crazy; all was quiet. When 
singing was over, all marched out in single file. I 
did not learn anything satisfactory touching my case 
by this experiment. I am writing history of my life- 
I must return to the horse. As this is not intended 
to be a history of my life, it matters not where I sail 
to, neither does it matter which end I begin at, as this 
is not intended to be the scientific part of this work. 

At sixteen years of age you can see a boy sitting on 
a saw-horse, about six feet from a horse. The horse 
interfered. His ankles were bleeding and sore. Right 



80 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

there was the first scientific principle I ever studied out 
on the horse. I did not get half of that. At that 
time I did not know his foot was changed from natural 
and run over inside, half of double heel pushed up, 
causing the toe to tarn out and ankle in. I saw I 
could throw his ankle out by lowering the outside 
heel and outside toe, and the outside heel of shoe and 
toe of shoe. That throws the weight on the outside; 
that will push up the outside heel ; that turns the toe 
in, brings the foot on a straight line. This principle, 
followed up, will run the toe in or out by changing 
the weight on the double heel both forward and be- 
hind. When the top of heel is even, care should be 
taken to dress bottom, so as to equalize weight ; give 
easy toe to raise on, or he will toe in or out to relieve 
the back tendons. His foot is growing all the time, 
and when it gets long the strain increases. If it is 
very long he will be apt to turn out his toes, the 
ankles turn in. In this case he will be likely to inter- 
fere, unless the shoe is reset, the foot dressed and 
made shorter. This principle will hold good to shoe 
all horses that are natural, or have not been injured in 
any way. If they have there is no better principle, 
if it is done right. If the horse is used right, on any 
decent road, and is not driven nearly to death, which 
he often is. And yet other difficulties soon arise 
after the horse's foot has been ironed a short time. 
The cup foot suffers the most — it cannot expand. 
What effect that can have I will tell you. It grows 
straighter up. The sole, that is, the bottom, rises, and 
most in the center ; that changes the whole structure 
of the foot, inside and out. That affects the coffin- 



THE horse's rescue. M 

joint most It is located nearly in the center; this 

change is going on to a greater or iess degree all the 
time, if the foot is ironed. It pushes out of the cup; 
or, in other words, top of hoof or wall. That destroys 
all harmony of action, and it does not stop where the 
cause is located. Trace from that cause to the effect. 
Its effect is more than you ever thought of. It does 
more mischief than you are aware of; it effects the 
horse all over. 

Now I am talking about the hind feet. They get 
higher, as this contraction takes place, from bottom to 
top. They cannot be lowered by paring as low as 
thej'- should be, for this reason : you would come to 
the membrane at the bottom near the wall inside of 
shell. You must have shell for shoe to rest on, or 
lameness will be the result. If you do pare down, the 
cause is there yet. The foot is not the natural size, 
and this is not all. It shoves the foot forward. Of 
course the leg goes with it. This change is going on 
as the sole raises in center, where it raises fastest; I 
mean highest. It all goes together. After you have 
cupped out the foot, place a straight edge across the 
center; measuring down; that will tell you. Com- 
mence at side of frog, measure out to wall. That will 
tell you. As this change is allowed to go on in that 
course, the foot moves forward according to the 
degrees of change from natural until the horse is 
nearly off his legs, and he is standing gambols out, 
feet huddled together, with a constant strain on the 
back tendons or cords; the heels closed in, structure 
all changed. My god, the pain and suffering this poor 



82 THE horse's rescue. 

horse endures ! and that, too, cbntinually until wel. 
come death comes to his 'relief. 

Let us continue this search. What's the matter 
witli this horse's back? He humps up across his 
loin. Oh, I see; it's this position he is obliged to 
stand in, caused by the structure of his foot being 
changed from natural. Why, he has got irons on 
his feet ! Now T am going inside and see what I can 
find in there. I see his kidneys affected, urinary 
organs all affected, caused by this unnatural strain and 
position which he is placed in, and obliged to stand 
and travel, and draw heavy loads day after day. Of 
course that effect must quite often be doctored. His 
water-works are out of order by being obliged to work 
and draw heavy loads when all are out of harmony. 
I have changed lots of these poor horses back to nat- 
ural on scientific principles, and all came right in a 
little time, and no medicine used. If vou follow me 
you will have a wild-goose chase, for I am going to 
have a horse sail. Don't back out. I will bring you 
back all right. Oh, there has come a poor, suffering 
horse. I musi; go and relieve him. I left that poor 
horse in a bad fix. I did not look his fore parts over. 
I will. He is braced out from the same cause. Like 
causes produce like effects. I mean the horse I was 
writing about. I told you how he was affected on his 
hind parts, as far as I went. Let us talk about the 
same horse's fore parts. Contraction changes the 
structure of foot the same, and shoves the foot for- 
ward on the same principles according to the degree 
of change. It changes faster on the cup foot. What 
effect does that have ? Strain on back tendons. That 



THE horse's rescue. 35' 

is bad enough. His forward legs should st^nd back 
of straight. When standing, are all of his feet in a 
pile? and when moving, trotting, see what strides he 
makes, and yet it would not sore him if he never had 
his feet ironed. That has produced this change ; and 
when ironed it does not wear off. That is not all. It 
is growing all of the time in some shape, and assumes 
many ; and with all of the experience I have had I 
cannot describe these feet. Let us go up a little higher. 
His chest is all fallen in. That is called cliest-founder 
by people that have no knowledge of the liDrse. Well, 
what is it? changed from natural. Being changed in 
this way, the head is drawn do\9n ; the shoulders drop 
back, and begin to perish ; he is fastened there. He 
is worked in that position and wofully deformed, and 
it is not seen except by a very few and never have been 
seen ; they are quite natural on their forward parts, 
and very bad behind, and seem quite natural behind. 
Iti some one foot is changed and its mate is quite 
natural. These feet do not change in pairs. There 
are all stages of it difficult to describe. My long ex- 
perience and experimenting and shoeing these poor 
horses enable me to see it instantly. There are other 
causes that lame these horses, which I will explain. 
This poor horse that I have been talking about is 
changed fore and aft, but I shall have to leave him 
awhile to suffer, as I have walked. with tears in my 
eyes away from thousands. But I will come to his 
relief and get him out of his trouble before I get 
throusrh this work. He is not so bad off as he can be 
made. I will come and see him again. This is the 
way this work was discovered and perfected, always 



34 THE house's rescuk 

on the watch, always ready to do all I could to relieve; 
and I went at it where I saw I could help them. Some 
I could and some I could not; but I tried and kept 
trying, though not on the right principle. But I did 
find out the right principle and get master of the feet 
at last. 

Hello, here comes Sam Grover. 

"Can you set a shoe?" 

" Yes ; lead in. What ails that mare, Sam ? she is 
awful stiff." 

"Yes; she has been so these two years." 

"How old it she?" 

"Six." 

"Ever done anything for her?" 

" Yes ; she has been doctored ; has had setons in 
her shoulders ; blistered. She belonged to Doc. Mede. 
They think she was stiffened driving through the creek 
to wash her legs off when he came home." 

"I can cure that mare." 

"Doc could not drive her on the road, so he let his 
brother Gird have her. She has been turned out. six 
months." 

" Did that help her any ?" 

" No ; she sores up as quick as she is driven." 

"What breed is she?" 

"Kentucky hunter." 

" Did they pull her shjes off when they turned her 
out?" 

" No." 

" I've got a good young mare coming five that will 
match that bay of yours. I will trade for that stiff 
mare." 



THE horse's RESCUK 35. 

*'I will trade. Gird told me to trade her ofL How 
will jou trade " 

" Give me twenty-five dollars." 

"I'll give you twenty." 

"It's a bargain." 

" Trust for the money ?" 

" No ; cash down boot money on a horse trade." 

*' Leave the trade open till Saturday ; got to go 
home." 

"Yes; any time in a week will do." 

He came in a day or two. It had frozen up rough 
and hard. He had to come thirteen miles over hubs*. 

"Well, how is horse trade?" 

"All right; unhitch." 

Of all stiff and sore horses I ever saw, she was the 
worst, and Btand up. She was nearly off her legs. 
Her legs were all covered with scabs. That was called 
mud fever; all scratched with sharp currycomb and 
swelled. Let us get her in the barn. She is all wet 
with sweat Cover up warm and feed. Another good 
job for to-night. Hurry to the shop. It ia getting 
dai'k. Folks waiting; all in a hurry to get home. 
Hurry upl Slioe three or four horses; each has a 
little tinkering job to do, and before they are all away 
it is an hour after dark. Do you suppose you got a 
good job? I think not Do you think the weight 
was equal on all of the heels of those horses ? If you 
do it would not make it so, and if it was it would not 
stay so long, about which I have already written and 
the consequences. 

By golly ! in this hurry I liked to forgot that poor 
suffering horse I just got I must go and see her. 



3i:y THE HORSE S KESCUE. 

On follows four or five to see too. They all want to 
see, and I wanted tbem to. I found her just as I ex- 
pected to, lying down. I walked in, looked to see if 
she had eat her feed. It was not touched. " Did you 
kick her up?" I did not. "Did any one kick her? " 
No; if they had, they might have got it back, for 
self-protection is the first law of nature. This horse 
was down, unable to help herself; but before I can 
remove the cause of her suffering, I must get her up. 
I touched her on her hind parts ; she was sore all over. 
I succeeded in getting her on her feet. Of all the sore 
horses I ever saw, all produced from a small cause, she 
was the cap-sheaf. Of course that called out remarks, 
opinions, and beliefs, and not much knowledge, but a 
great deal of talk. 

" Doan, I guess that black man has waxed it to you 
this time." 

Sam was black. Some one said she was chest 
foundered ; some one thing, some another, and all dis- 
agreed. 1 well knew they had no knowledge where 
tbe cause was, neither did they know where the effect 
was. I told them I would have her out on the road 
in four days, and she would have as good knee action 
as a colt That is rather short time. I told them 
what was the matter with her, as I always have; but 
they do not seem to see it as T do. At it I went. At 
that time I did not have as much knowledge of the 
horse as I have now. 

If you will sail with me through this w rk, I will 

do all of the work. You look on; understand? I 
am shoeing cripples and all kinds through the day 
and sometimes the night, and it's night now; but this 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 37 

poor horse must be helped to-night. I must have two 
quarts of whisky. That is not to be had short of two 
miles. I got it. I did not drive this cripple, and 
told short stories. I am home now, but before I com- 
mence I will tell you w^here the cause of this poor 
horse's suffering was located, and what the effect was, 
and where and how I removed it, and that is w^hat you 
want to know and I want you to know. This is what 
this long story is told for, and it is what they are all 
told for. This mare had a small, round, thin-shelled, 
flat foot, when natural ; low heels. Let us take a peek 
at those shoes. Golly I that is all wrong ; that shoe is 
not the shape of the foot ; not wide enough across the 
quarter. It is too wide at the heels. It is a long, 
clevis-shape ; yes ; and it's too long. So is the foot ; 
and the toe is too peaked, and the toe-cork is too high 
for the heels. "Can't vou find a little more fault?" 
Yes. The web is too narrow and too thick for such 
feet. " Is that all ?" JSTo ; let us take this shoe off 
and look on the other side and see what we find there. 
It's not concave; it's dishing clear around to heel — • 
bent instead of being hammered, and no flat rest ; and 
yet it sits hard on the sole. Let us examine these 
feet. The toe is one inch and a quarter too long. 
That should be cut off. It is nothing but useless 
shell; it needs paring some. Let us look at the heels. 
These heels are too low. They are all mutilated and 
break down, caused by the shoe not resting on the 
heel and not having a flat rest on the shoe at heeh 
What else? Being to ) wide, it formed a lever purchase 
across the quarter and warps the foot. Let us look 
and see if the heels are contracted. Not much. We 



38 THE horse's bescue. 

"will pare the foot so the shoe will rest only on shell 
until we come to the heel. Leave brace in, pare fiat, 
and fit all around — no springing business about it. 
Well, what are you going to do with those low heels? 
It is getting cold here ; we can't wait for those heels 
to grow. They must be raised to-night. Won't to- 
morrow do as well ? There will be a lot more horses 
to the shop to-morrow, and there will be no time. It's 
fearful cold here. I guess you can stand the cold. 
Let us go to the shop and make a pair of shoes for 
this horse. What sort of shoe shall we make for this 
horse to relieve him ? In his present condition he is 
braced out; head down; chest sunken in; shoulders 
dropped back ; great strain on back tendons or cords ; 
the heels are even at top ; the sole is a little raised up. 
She should stand back of straight comfortable. That 
will be all we can do to-night. We will make a shoe 
with wide web, at toe quite wide ; very thin at toe ; 
one inch thick at heel ; taper from center of toe to 
heel. It should be made as light as possible ; thinned 
an trued so as to reduce weight ; wide where the heels 
rest ; concave clear out to nail holes ; holes in shoe 
close to edge. This concave should stop at about one 
inch and a half from the heel. The brace should be 
cut away slanting toward the frog. We want to get 
the sole down by the weight of the horse. That ex- 
pands the foot. The shoe should be made full across 
the quarter ; it is too narrow. It has been cut off. 
Get the colt's foot in shape — round, easy toe to rise on ; 
good length shoe, not stuck out at heel. Let us go to 
the barn. I am getting somewhat tired. It is awful 
cold here, too. These shoes were made by eye acd 



THE H0B£«3'S RESCUE. 39 

measuring the foot Now this is a hard job for me 
and the horse. She has got to stand on one foot It 
must be done. Get two nails in, and let the foot down. 
Back goes the foot, and the leg with it Of course 
now she can stand better. The strain is ofi the back 
tendons. Now I can set the other shoe easier. Down 
goes the foot back of straight Finish this joboff quite 
easy. Now I feel better, and the horse too. It mat- 
ters not what this animal is called, horse or mare. It 
is a mare. It is principle I am working on. 

I must tell you how the nails are in this shoe ; two 
are in the toe, six in all. None back of the widest 
part of the foot No corks on this shoe. That suns 
me. My golly! her head and neck have gone up. 
Look here ! that hollow is all gone in her breast and she 
sticks out right plump and. full. It is getting late. It 
It is not so cold as it was. I have removed the cause 
and cured " chest founder." The heart is not affected, 
as I have been told. She is eating hay; that's a big 
thing. It will be daylight soon. I must hurry up. I 
want some warm, soft water. We will have to go to 
the house, build a fire, and warm some water. Get 
t'lat whisky, castile soap, and sponge, and back to 
the barn again. These scabs mast all come off clean 
and lean all over. 

It is a good time, while I think of it, to say that I 
never use a currycomb. A stiff brush is all I want, 
brushing always the way the hair lies. Wash off ma- 
nure. . 

I must rub the mare dry, and wash her all over with 
whiskey with a sponge, and rub dry three or four 



40 THE horse's rescue. 

times. Rub lightly, put on a light blanket, and make 
her a good, soft, dry bed. 

Gracious heavens ! It is daylight, time to feed, and 
I want my breakfast, too. 

" Hello ! Doan ; sharpen these horses ; have them 
done in an hour ?" 

"Yes." 

I want to say here that whiskey had nothing to do 
with curing that mare's stiiOEness. It might have made 
her feel better, and it might have helped take out the 
soreness. But it v/as the work done on the feet that 
cured her. Castile soap and water was all I needed to 
cure her scabby legs. Water would have cleaned them. 
I have cured hundreds since, and used no whisky; all 
I use is water. It is science, principle. I wanted to 
make the mare comfortable, so she could lie down and 
rest and sleep. All should do the same. If the 
horse could talk in a language that we could under- 
stand, you would hear louder bugling than you ever 
heard from me. You would thmk that it was the 
judgment-day, and that the supreme court of heaven 
was in session. 

I use the word "cure " in this book because it is in 
common use, to convey what we are talking about. It 
is all well enough ; but I do not cure these horses — I 
remove the cause and nature repairs the damages. 
When I go at a horse to fix him up, I look him over 
awd do all I can that will make him comfortable. 

The day's work is done in the shop. It has been a 
hard road all day, I tell you. In .all stages of suffer- 
ing I have helped some, and I have made some worse, 
wliich I well knew ; but I did the best I could for 



THE horse's rescue. 41 

them and the owner. Their feet were in all kinds of 
conditions. 

By George ! in this hubbub I was likely to forget 
my mare in the barn. I said before that J. had cured 
her, and she had not been out of the stall yet. Bat 
I have removed the cause, or part of it. I have got to 
polish her ofE yet. Let us go to the barn^ move her 
around on the floor, and see how she acts. She must 
be exercised moderately at first. The change is so 
great she hardly knows how to use her legs. She will 
soon recover from that. She has been changed from 
natural so long, and her cords are out of harmony, she 
can hardly control herself ; but she does not suffer. 
Her soreness is nearly all gone. 

I will right here say to the readers of this work, in 
this sail working on the horse, I am alone in this barn ; 
all are quietly sleeping. My talk is directed to you, 
reader, and I want you to go with me, if you will, and 
pay close attention. I will give you the biggest and 
the most instructive lesson you ever had on the horse. 

Let us sponge the mare's legs, shoulders, and loins 
with whisky; rub dry each time; repeat this three or 
four times ; take her out-doors ; run with her awhile. 
Again in the barn, rub her legs and shoulders an hour 
or two. ■ Let us drive her in harness. Now I can ride. 
Before we take this ride I will say I packed this 
horse's feet. These were dried up with fever^ caused 
by unnatural strain on the cords which fasten in feet. 
Let us look at the bottom of the feet. The frog does 
not touch the ground yet. That's all right in this 
case. It is a little lower than the shoe-heels. When 
the foot is on the floor, look ! she stands her fore legs 



42 THE horse's RESCtJE, 

back straight. Where is the weight now? It ia 
nearly in the center of the foot That's right Don't 
be in a hurry; we will take a sail after this horse 
soon. We ai'e experimenting now. There is some- 
thing more, before we start, to be looked to. I told 
you when we dressed this foot to prepare it for the 
shoe we must have the brace slanting a little down 
toward the frog, and have a flat rest on the shoe-heel. 
Now the shoe rests on the shell all around, and it is 
up from the sole. Where is that foot-hook? Let us 
clean out everything under that shoe clear out to 
nails. Have the hook thin. The foot is middling soft 
Pile in. Let us have a sail after this mare. Thunder ! 
how cold it is. Yes, it is, but we can stand it to ride 
four or six miles, I guess. Golly ! she moves finely. 
Look at that knee action. See where her head is. 
Whoa ; let us get her in the barn ; cover her up after 
she gets done steaming. Let us look at the bottom of 
the feet to see what we can find. There ! that frog is 
down even with the heel of the shoe. Let us look at 
the foot at the heel, and that sits flat on the flat rest 
on shoe. Let us look at the bottom. This foot is 
not as cupping as it was. How is that ? Look at heel 
of foot where it rests on heel of shoe. It is spread a 
little. What did that? Before we took this ride the 
sole was raised up, as I have explained before, and the 
structure of the foot was changed from natural. I 
prepared the foot and shoe for the operation. The 
weight of the horse is in the center of the foot. The 
drive settled the sole down in the cup or top of hoof, 
and when the sole is down in its natural place^ all is 
in harmony of action. It should in no case go below 



THE house's rescue. 48: 

flat It would not kill the horse, but it would be 
out of harmony, for nature has formed the foot. 
When natural, the sole is arching and the frog intended 
to rest on the ground; but these changes are con- 
stantly going on in greater or less degrees. It does 
not affect the horse's shoulders as bad to have the 
sole go down below natural, that is, get rounding on 
the bottom. It lets up on the back tendons. It never 
would go down if the frog could rest on the ground.. 
When it rises it effect is terrible. Let us examine this 
horse we are at work on. Now the frog is down on 
the ground ; the sole is down or nearly so ; let us try 
her and see how far back we can put her foot and have 
it sit flat down on the heel and not hurt her. See ! 
she can put it back from the point where her foot was 
when we commenced on her, four feet and a half. 
That's boss! It's cold, and it is three o'clock. Let us 
go to the house. Tliis horse wants rest. So do I. 
Give her good bed ; build a fire. There is no use go- 
ing to bed, it's so late, and there will soon be a lot of 
horses here to be shod ; and there will be no peace. 
Sleep by the stove a little ! 

''Hello, Doan ; shoe these horses? " 

" Yes, I will be there as soon as I swallow a mouth- 
ful." 

" This mare is lame forward. She interferes behind ; 
she stumbles. She never interfered, and never was 
lame until after that damned Bloom shod her." 

Let us look her over. 

"How long has she been shod." 

" It is not over six months, and the shoes are all 
clattering now." 



44 THE horse's rescue. 

Well, what about this one ? She is stiff. It hurts 
her to go down hill, and she falls down once in a 
while, and it hurts her to go up hill. And when she 
first starts off she straddles out behind. Warm her 
up, then she goes better, but it hurts her when she gets 
up in the morning. She is awful sore then. 

" Tom Jones sent me here ; he said jour were a 
good shoer. Some think she is strained across the 
loins." 

"Well, it does have that appearance." 

Of course I am at work at them all of the time. I 
left one of that kind in this book. I shall go and see 
him one of these days. Let us shoe this one we 
looked over first. 

" I want long corks on them ; I am going to hauling 
wood, and I want a good big cork on, so they will last. 
Those corks that Bloom put on are all off now." 

"All right." This lame foot is about one inch 
longer than its mate. What is this? the hair is all off 
on the back side of his leg." 

"Well, I blistered his cords; they are sore." 

" I see they are. Did' it help him any ?" 

"No." . 

"Have you tried anything more?' 

" Yes, I put on whisky, skunks' grease, and angle- 
worm oil." 

"No good? Why, you have been at work in the 
wrong place. That is the effect. The hind feetare in the 
same condition, only worse. The nails stick out and 
cut like a knife, and it affects across the loins and the 
kidneys. This is a flat foot, however. The sole is 
down ; the foot is spread out over the shoe." 



THE horse's rescue. 45 

These poor cripples are coming and going while I 
am sitting by the window over my shop writing this 
work, and it bothers me, but I must do it. 

Well, let us fix this lame foot. Let us work on 
principle, and see how that will work. Let us shorten 
tha4: lever purchase. How much? That foot has 
been shod six months ; and the toe was too peaked 
when it was shod; and it was left about three-quarters 
of an inch too long then. It has been growing ever 
since. It takes about one year for a foot to grow 
from the hair down. This foot, when natural, from 
hair down, would be about five inches. It has grown 
half a year, and was about one inch too long when 
shod. According to this figuring, this foot is three 
inches and a half too long. That is a trifle too much. 
Let us do away with that lever purchase by shorten- 
ing the foot. We better raise the heels a little, for it 
is going to grow longer. It is growing now ; but we 
cannot see it. Now it is shod. See where his foot is 
now— back of straight, weight in center. Sore some; 
it will be all right in ten days, I will warrant for a 
cent. The same all round ; like causes produce like 
effects. We have got this foot fixed. Let us walk 
him around. Golly! we have lamed him on the 
other foot. The fact is, he was lame on both. The 
lever was the longest on the one we fixed first. That 
is, tliis principle effects all horses, shod or not, in a 
greater or less degree. This is a flat foot. I have 
changed him some, and that effects him. He does 
hardly know how to use his legs. His ankles are a 
little weak, caused by this sudden change. Exercise 
will soon bring him out all right Yet, with all this 



46 THE horse's rescue. 

work, he is not natural. But this is the best that can 
be done with him — shoeing him. Try him. Place 
his foot back as far as you can from point where his 
foot now stands, and that is back of straight. You 
can see he cannot get his foot down flat on heel more 
than two feet, and the corks are higher than the toe 
cork, a little. How is this, the heels are pinched in, 
and the structure is changed enough to cause that, and 
I cannot fix it shoeing. 

I have cured thousands of this kind of feet of lame- 
ness, and the owners were well pleased and talked for 
me ; and I will thank them right here. This work is 
for them and all mankind and the suffering horse; and 
when you read this work do not take any offense, for 
it is not intended to ridicule. I have thought of writ- 
ing this work for nine years. How to convey it in a 
book I could not study out, for I talked and explained 
continually. They did not learn much and worked. 
I have taken this way of explaining my methods of 
treatment because there is no other way of giving the 
information I wish to convey. It is all meant for 
your interest and that of your poor, suffering horses. 

Well, we have not got that horse done yet His 
foot is growing. He will go very well for a while, and 
you will hear from that lever purchase if you let it get 
too long. I am done with him. 

Kext! This horse I do not like to tackle. It is a 
hard job, but I can help him a little. He has got it 
bad, but it must be done. It will make us both sweat 
before we get through. This horse has a thick-shelled 
cup foot He has got cold standing here. We should 
have shod him first while he was w*irm. Can't shoe 



THE horse's rescue. 47 

them all wbile they are warm; there are so many. 
Some must wait. " Stand around here!" Thunder I 
how he straddles !" "Back!" How he raises up his 
feet I and he drags them before they leave the floor. 
They do not go up very quick ; if they did I should 
think he had spring-hall. There is not much 
"spring " motion about it. I have a mind to leave 
him with the other I left in this book until I come 
around again. I can't help him much. I do not 
think he can stand on three legs ; and, worse than all, 
he has got two sets of feet on him, for they were not half 
cut down when they were shod last, which was six 
months ago, and they are hard as a stone. I won't 
back out; that's not my name. I think we bad better 
shoe him on his forward feet first. He can't stand un- 
til we do, he is so changed from natural, and all is so 
out of harmony. 

" How old is this horse ?" 

" He is nineteen years old." 

" How long have you owned him?'* 

" I raised him from a colt." 

" Have you ever doctored him ?" 

" Oh, yes; I have tried everything most." 

"His chest has fallen in some; that looks like chest 
founder." 

" It is not that. I have always taken care of my 
horses myself, and never feed them when they are 
warm; and no man drives my horses, they don't." 

" Has one man shod them all of the time ?" 

"No, since he got stiff I have been to a good many 
shoers." 

"They help him any?" 



48 THE horse's rescue, 

" No ; tliej say you can cure these horses by shoe- 



ing. 



" I can help some of them for a while. I can help 
this one a little." 

This horse is different from the one just shod. His 
feet are cup feet. His shoulders are perished some. 

" Yes ; some say he is sweenied." 

" Ever doctor them ?" 

"Yes; we inflated him." 

"What's that?" 

"Pull the skin up like this, all loose; cut a little 
hole in; jerk it back and forward, and it will fill up 
with wind. Well, it made it look full, and plump, and 
soft. Before I got home it was all gone down again." 

"How much did it cost you?" 

" A dollar. I've paid out lots of money doctoring 
this horse, and he gets worse every da}'', and I have to 
doctor his water-works every little while now." 

" I see his shoulders have been blistered " 

"Yes; I've blistered them and his cords on the 
backside of his legs and across his loin." 

"Ever try setons?" 

" Yes, in both shoulders, and I had him roweled in 
the breast, and a fellow told me to cut the skin open 
on the shoulders and take smoked meat rinds, put 
them in, and sew them up, and let them rot out; that 
was a sure cure for sweeny." 

"That help him?" 

" No." 

" What do you give him for his water now?" 

"Turpentine." 

"How much at a time?'* • 



THE HORSE S RESCUE. 49 

*' Half a pint once a week, and I keep rosin in his 

feed-box all of the time." 

^'I see his legs are swelled," 

"Yes." 

" Do anything for that?" 

"Yes, I have used gai-gling oil, Anderson's derm- 
adore, liniments, and all kinds of liniments I could 
hear of," 

" I see he is sore under his fetlocks," 

" Yes ; that is scratches," 

" Ever done anything for them ?" 

" Yes ; I have tried all kinds of salves I could think 
of, and I bound live toads under bis fetlocks; and a 
fellow told me to make a poultice of human dung." 

"Well, how did that work?" 

" It drew out the inflammation," 
,"Didit?^' 

" Yes ; when I put it on every few days." 

" I see some enlargements here," 

" Those are wind-pufis. They don^t hurt him any. 
Some say the cause of these legs swelling is yellow 
water," 

" I know they da- Did you ever give him anything 
for that?" 

" Yes, I have." 

"Help him?" 

"No," 

" It does have that appearance, looking him over. 
What is this inside? He is swelled here and sore." 

" I never saw that before. That is called the sec- 
ond stifle by some. Yes, he has strained himself prob- 
ably getting up." 



bi) THE HORSES RESCUE. 

" What is this up here? He sinks down here over 
t1ie vvliirl bone. Ever do anvthino- for that?" 

"Yes; I pat on different kinds of Jiniment and 
heated it in with hot ii'ons." 

"Did that help him?" 

"I don't know as it did." 

'• What are those marks on the inside of his leo;s?" 

*' I had him fired — burnt ; thej say that makes them 
stronger. 

" He seems weak on his hind legs. What are these 
enhargements here?" 

"They call them blood-spavins; some call them 
bog-spavins." 

'^What is tliis?" 

"Well, they say them are curbs" 

"What is this in here?" 

"Oh, that's nothing but thoroughpin." 

"Ever do anything for these difficulties?" 

" Yes." 

"Did it help them?" 

"I can't see as it has." 

"Well, we can't stand here long. We must get 
these horses out of here. It will soon be dark. I 
have got a job at the barn to-night on that Kentucky 
hunter mare. Well, we may as well tackle this horse. 
Take up ! Thunder ! this horse's feet are contracted. 
Didn't you know that?" 

" They told me they were." 

"Did you ever do anything for them ?" 

" Yes. I have used lots of foot ointment and salves 
to make them grow fast." 

" Well, I think that did make them grow. I guess 



THE horse's rescue. 61 

that is a good thing. It is about eight inches 
froni the top of the coronet to the toe on these feet all 
around. Did jou have irons on his feet when you 
used this stuff?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, I think they grew a little too fast. Where 
did 3^oa put this ointment you used 'i'' 

" Well, I made a mark all around the foot just be- 
low the hair, on the hoof, and I put it below the 
mark." 

"Did you put any on the inside?" 

" Yes ; on the sole. ' 

"Did you get any on the frog?" 

"]S"o." 

"Didn't you know that in putting this trash on horn 
or hoof that was already grown there was danger of 
niakinof it erow too fast?" 

"No, I did not." 

" Didn't you ? Didn't you know there was a receipt 
out to prevent it growing in case it should get to grow- 
ing too fast?" 

"No." 

"Well, there is, and they should always accompany 
each other, for they are dangerous to be used separ- 
ately. This is a fast age in which we live. I read a 
receipt the other day that would make a foot grow out 
from the hair down to its natural length in six weeks. 
The natural growth of the hoof is about one year when 
healthy, and no fever in it; and this is not all — with 
irons on it could not expand, and that would incline 
it to grow long and narrow. And at this rate of 
growth a horse could be grown up from the time it 



52 THE horse's rescuk 

was born in twenty-four weeks to four years old. That 
would excel the creator." 

I will show the effect of long feet before I get 
through this work. Let us go on with this examina- 
tion of this horse. 

"This hoi S3 ever been bled in plait vein?" 

"Yes." 

"Help him?" 

"No." 

"Ever been nerved?" 

"Yes." 

"Help him?" 

"No." 

" Vf hat are these scabs on here?" 

"I had the wind puffs cut open to let the wind out." 

" They are sore yet ?" 

"Yes." 

"Let us try him and see if he can stand on one for 
ward leg while w^e get the shoe off the other." 

It has high corks on the heel to raise it to take the 
strain off cords now He can't stand down on heel. 
It is lower with the shoe off. Well, we must work on 
this foot until we get it fixed or we will have him 
down. There will have to be some judgment used in 
shortening the lever purchase on this horse with all 
this contraction ; forward legs braced out at least one 
and a half feet from point where they should be, and 
his hind feet shoved for^-ard under his belly about the 
same distance and from the same cause, and run over 
at that; gambrels bowed out; toes in ; hind feet hud- 
dled together. This horse weighs twelve hundred ; 
weight two-thirds, thrown back on his hind legs. Now 



THE horse's rescue. 53 

tliis horse has got to be balanced in some way to 
equalize his weight. Shorten that lever on toe, and 
get his weight in center of foot, on all of his feet, or 
nearly so, by dressing foot, or preparing shoe, or by 
both. 

" Well, Joe, you are too tall ; you will raise him too 
much ; it will tip him over. I will tiy him. This 
foot has got corns?" 

''Yes ; I had them dag out and tar burnt in." 

" They are sore now ?" 

"Yes." 

"Ever do anything more to them?" 

*'I put iu spirits of salts and butter of antimony." 

"Cure them?" 

"No." 

" What is this hole in the toe ?" 

"A veterinarian said he was foundered ; bleeding in 
the toe would cure him." 

" How much blood did he take from him?" 

" Five quarts from each toe." 

"Well, what else?" 

" He corked it with tar and tow, and burnt it in with 
a hot iron." 

"Cure him?'* 

"No." 

" We will never get this horse shod if we do hot 
quit examining them. What is this hole in this foot?" 

" Well, a fellow told me to bore a hole in the bot- 
tom of his foot and fill it up with turpentine. It 
would cure him." 

"Bid you?" 

"Yes." 



54 THE hokse's rescue. 

"Cure him?" 

"No." 

"Wei], this shoe is on at last. The weight is in 
center nearly. His knee is a little weak, but I guess 
he is about balanced on that foot. Let us shoe the 
other." 

" What is this cutting around the coronet or top of 
hoof?" 

" A veterinai'ian told me the coronet band was too 
tiglit. It should be cut so as to give it room to ex- 
pand ?" 

" Did it help him? 

"No." 

" That operation of spreading the foot by fitting 
the shoe wider than the foot, so you could see the nail 
holes all around, commence at the toe and starting all 
of the nails and driving, no matter how high, by alter- 
nate raps so as to spread the foot where it was con- 
ti-acted ; and another process for contracting his heels 
to tighten up the cof!in-joint when it gets too much 
play ; that is, when it gets to cutting through neglect 
to oil ; and a few other great discoveries on horses' 
feet, cost this government twenty-five thousand dol- 
lars in the time of the Rebellion." 

" It's larger at the top than it is at the bottom. I 
guess that let it spread." 

" Did you take the shoes off when you cut the 
coronet band?" 

"No." 

" Were the fore legs braced out?" 

"Yes." 

" If he had stood up straight, as he now does, it would 



THE hoese's rescue. 55 

spread faster, the weight being in the center, with shoe 
nailed on the bottom. Don't you think the bottom 
would have been the proper place to spread the foot?" 

" Well, it does seem so." 

'*I have shod horses a great many years, and I have 
never tried to spread the foot wider at the top than it 
was at the bottom, but this process was recommended 
by Robert Bonner, and I suppose it is all right. This 
horse's shell is thick. If it had been thin there would 
have had to be some plan studied out to stop his foot 
from splitting open in many places. Then it would 
want contraction again to close the cracks. It is curi- 
ous they could not see the lever; that tip-back 
principle is not seen by many on horses, yet it 
exists, which I shall show before I get through this 
work. I intend this work to be an eye-opener. I am 
writing it in the night, when all is quiet, all asleep, for 
I am so annoyed through the day I cannot write so 
v;ell. 

These poor cripples are continually coming for re- 
lief. Of course I tell them what to do. They want 
me to do it. I tell them I am as stiff and sore as their 
horses, and let them go. This book must be written. 

Let us return to the horse. He is shod on the for- 
ward feet. He stands a little back of straight. Let 
us see how strong he is on his kness. Push him for- 
ward on his knees. He is very weak, but he is bal- 
anced about as well as he can be considering the con- 
dition his poor contracted feet are now in. His toe, 
that awful lever power, is growing. His knee will not 
go over with this job. He feels better now, but his 
feet ache awfully. Golly ! in all of this hubbub, folks 



5t> THE HORSE S RESCUE. 

coming and going, horses, something the matter with 
all of them ; four or five talking at one time ; all ex- 
pressing their opinions and beliefs; new arrivals all 
through the day, and late at night, no two affected 
alike; some from one cause, some from, another, all in 
a hurry to get home or go to mill or some other place. 
To talk with them all and balance them all up in good 
shape so they will not go lame in six months, and 
fail nine times out of ten, is somewhat trying. 

Well, let us go on with this job. Stand out about 
eight feet from this horse, take a side view of him. If 
you have a good sharp eye, if you are any judge of 
the horse, or even if you are half blind, you can see the 
position he is obliged to stand in. I have fixed him 
forward^ and moved him back from the point where 
they were when I commenced, at least fourteen inches, 
and that is as far as I can get him without tipping him 
on his knees, with his feet contracted as they are now. 
Balancing deformed horses, you will find before we 
get through this sail, is quite a science; and man will 
have something more to do than to eat^ sleep, and 
wear clothes. Golly ! that makes me think it is almost 
night, and I have not had my dinner. 

Are you looking at that horse ? Yes. If you are 
going to be my pupil you must pay close attention. 
Where is the weight of that horse? See where his 
hind feet stand now, and we have not even touched 
them yet. They are all contracted, and eight inches 
from the hair down to point of toe. These feet should 
be moved back at least eighteen inches, to get the 
weight in the center of the foot. Of course, we can- 



THE horse's rescue. 57 

not spread out his feet. We must do the best we can 
as he is. 

Spreading the foot with nails, that is, by fitting the 
shoe so much wider than the foot, I do not like. I do 
not want to spread the foot at the toe; the heel is the 
place. All feet spread at the toes, on that principles 
would contract the heels; they are contracted enough 
now. And that is not all; it would tear all the shell 
off; besides, when they get soaked soft, the shoe, 
shell and all, would go. It is curious, is it not, with 
all of the ailments this poor horse has, his doctors 
have worked at the wrong place — the effect? But I 
have not got through looking him over yet. He 
stands as w^e left liim. What would be the effect on 
this horse if we should leave him, and not get his feet 
back, so as to have his weight on the center of his 
foot? There is eight hundred weight on them now. 
There should be more than half on the fore legs, and 
the horse weighs twelve hundred. That lever is 
rather long. In the position he is obliged to stand 
in his hind legs-are of but little use. If we take up 
one of them half the weight must come on the shoer, 
and there will be quite a struggle before that leg can 
be got in a position to shoe. It has been so a long 
time, and the horse is sore across his kidneys. His 
hind parts are too low for his fore parts. Look at 
him ; his back is humped, and there is a constant 
strain. All is out of harmony, both internally and 
externall3^ This horse is not as bad as he will be 
made yet by these effect doctors, these veterinarians, 
these professors of great wisdom. He will stand a 
little more toi-turing 'and mutilation. He is tough. 



58 THE horse's rescue. 

I can fix him so he can haul his half of two cords of 
green wood up and down heavy hills a little while j^et, 
and suffer night and day, and I am going to do it. 
Come on, Oliver, let us try him. "We will have a 
tough time. This horse is finished, and he stands 
well back on his hind feet, shortening tliat lever by 
dressing the foot, and raising heel of shoe a little 
higher than toe. Look the horse over if you must 
shoe, not stand and talk about shoes. This horse 
stands where the weight should be — in center; he is 
in pain, and always will be, unless his foot expands; 
and I well know it will not with those irons on his 
feet — all out of harmony, structure all changed from 
natural. He steps short, and every foot pains him, 
night and day. Still, it looks well on the outside. If 
you want to tell look at his movement. 

Do you think these two horses were all we shod 
that day? No, it was not. Foi'ty-one years wrestling 
with horses of all kinds — I am tired. Good-bye, poor 
horse, I will come and see you before I get through 
this work, for I am determined to find the way out of 
this trouble. 

Supper is over. Let us go to the barn and see the 
Kentucky hunter. By golly! Kit, you are looking 
fine. Her feet have had packing in them all the time. 
Sponge over w^ith whisky twice; rub dry each time. 
We must look this mare's hind parts over before we 
drive her any more, for we want all to work together 
" in harmony of action." That lever is too long. 
Weight is back of center of foot. Too much strain 
oTi bnck tendons. That must be fixed before the mare 
is driven rinotlier rod. Lei us go to the shop, pare the 



THE horse's rescue. 69 

toe and shorten. The heels are ]ovv enoug:h. The 
structure is very nearly all i-ight. Easy toe to rise 
on; narrow web shoe; little thicker at heei. Short 
corks; heel a little higher than toe. She is shod. 
Take a side view of her now. Slie stands back further 
on her feet." 

"Is that so?" 

'No ; her body has gone forwai-d. ISTow her body 
has all gone forward. Her fore legs stand further 
back of straight. The weiglit is more equal on the 
center of foot, and she is on her foundation or base, 
and her head has gone up a little more. Let us go to 
the barn. Kit, by golly, we will make some of the 
great horsemen's eyes stick out on this job. Kit, we 
are going to take a sail now. Clean out under shoe. 
This frog is flattening out. That's all right. Pile in. 
Let us go up on the Ridge road. That is getting worn 
down smooth. Let us drive moderate for a while, and 
let her get used to the change. It is a little weaken- 
ing to be changed so suddenly, and, that, too, one end 
at a time. She will soon recover from that. She is 
changed toward natural. She is even with herself in- 
stead of five or six feet behind, whicli I will show bv 
cuts, and by principles that will not lie, befoi'e I get 
through this work. Try yourself, Kit. Golly! see 
how she flattens out. See where her hind feet strike, 
outside of her forward feet. All clear Ave or six feet 
ahead. You begin to be a.«3 your creator made vou. 
To-morrow is the day 3^ou are to show tliose boys 
what you can do. Whoa ! Into the barn ; rub until 
dry. Pack forward feet. G-;od, bright, clean hay; 



60 THE horse's rescue. 

good, dry. soft bed. It is two o'clock in the morning. 
Let "US have a little nap. 

"Where is Doan?" 

" He has net got up yet." 

" Tell him to come out ; I want to see him. I want 
these horses shod all around. I am in a hurry. Don't 
you get up until this time of day? You vv^ill sleep 
3^our intellect all away. I want them shod all around 
now. I am going to drive them to Pennsylvania. I 
want them sharp, long corks ; I don't want to sharpen 
them again this winter." 

"All right" 

These horses have flat feet all around. In six 
months that man came to the shop. 

"Doan, I want these shoes clinched, and some nails 
put in. I guess the nail iron wasn't very good." 

The shoes were nearly buried inside of shell. 

"Mr. Knap, we cannot always get good nail iron. 
It varies so that we cannot tell until we try it. How- 
ever, I will fix them up." 

They came again to get shod, and settle up. It was 
just nine months. The same shoes were on. The 
hoof was spread out over the shoe with the weight of 
the horse. It did not kill them. See that lever at 
toe. I have seen hundreds of horses of that kind set- 
tled down in front between top of coronet and point at 
toe, the weight being in center of foot ; the frog has no 
rest, and is raised by corks from the ground. The foot 
gets soft sometimes. Heel-nails always break first 
from lever purchase. The horse always, when draw- 
ing raises on toe. When climbing heavy hills, the 
sole settles down until it is below flat Then it is verv 



THE horse's rescue. 61 

weak. The coffin-joint is badly affected. The high toe- 
cork, drawing in tl5is fix, weight in center, completelv 
dislocates the coffin-joint, and in this case the horse's 
foot is almost useless. He rocks back on his heel ; the 
toe turns up and has a rocking motion at every step. 
And yet he is expected to draw heavy loads. That 
lever works badly on all kinds of feet. If it has not 
broken down, it hurts at coronet where the ring-bone 
comes and strains back tendons. 

This lever works both ways to a greater or less de- 
gree, and I will show what power there is in it con- 
nected with contraction. 

For fear the readers may think I have butchered 
and mutilated these poor already tortured horses, I 
will say right here I never did ; I have always known 
it to be wrong, and I never believed horses were stiff- 
ened by anything they eat or drank ; and I know they 
are not now. I lived at Talcot's Corners when I was 
at work on the Kentucky hunter mare, which I have 
not got through with yet. 

I will go back to the time I had worked at shoeing 
the horse nine years in the village of North ville, 
Cayuga Co., N. Y. Chauncey Hinman bought a pair 
of dapple-cream mares, very nice, black legs, mane, 
and tails. This place is two miles from Talcot's Cor- 
ners. At that time I had a good reputation as a shoer, 
and did a large business in that line. I had taken my 
old shop do^n to build larger, and things were all out 
doors. These creams I shod the first time. They 
had flat feet, thin shell. I had shod them, as near as I 
can recollect about two years. Their owner was my 
regular customer; his horses needed shoeing; he 



Qi THE horse's rescue. 

waited for me to get my shop up. He had business 
about one hundred miles, and he wanted to drive it. 
Having no fire, I could not shoe them. He h;id 
waited a long time. His horse's feet had grown very 
long. They must be shod. He took them to another 
shop and had them shod, and went his journey and 
back. I sent my apprentice to tell him I wanted him 
to draw some stone for me. He came and saw me. 
He said : 

"I have foundered my horses." 

'' Perhaps that is not so ; bring them over so I can 
see them." 

He said they were so stiff he could not get them to 
the shop in a half day. 

"You must," said I; "I can't go now." 

It was three miles. He came. T soon saw where 
the cause was. I told him I would cure them both 
for four shillings. 

" That is just what two other blacksmiths told me. I 
had those shoes set twice while I was gone, and it did 
no good. I have foundered them. I had been told 
that when on the road, if you water while the horse is 
warm, and then di'ive on and keep him moving, there 
is no danger; but I stiffened my horses in this way." 

They were so stiff they could hardly move. After 
they had stood awhile I pointed out where the cause 
was; and spent about an hour explaining. Then we 
went to the shop. These horses had light limbs and 
as good feet as I want on a horse, and not much 
changed if they had been dressed and trimmed as 
they should have been. There was three inches of 
useless hoof in length on the toe. I cut it ofT, and 



THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 63 

talked all the time, teaching. The shoe was a coarse 
boLch of a thing ; not concave ; creased in the middle; 
heavy nails ; long, pointed toe, with high toe-corks and 
high heel-corks. In fact, one of the biggest botches I 
ever saw. When I got these creams dressed np they 
had colts' feet, and their bodies came back on their 
base; weight in the center. They were sore in their 
cords. The cause was removed. I explained it all to 
the owner three or four times over, and told him that 
in a week tliey would be all right; if they were not I 
would take them and pay him what tliey cost him. 
A week afterward I was sitting on the verandah at 
my house, and I saw the creams coming down the 
road; heads up, good knee-action, feeling fine. He 
stopped. 

"Doan, my horses are as sound as ever they were." 
" Yes, that's all right." "Say, now, look here ; tell 
me what you did to those horses. No man shall shoe 
these horses but you." 

"Go where you please to get your shoeing done." 
My God! what good did all of that talk do? I 
told him again, "Look out for that lever purchase!" 

Mv brother Oliver and myself had those horses and 
thousands of others of that kind to cure of "chest 
founder '' — some over and over again. Talk and w^ork 
and teach, and no one would learn ! Horses came 
blistered and with setons in shoulders. The fact is, the 
owners looked at us and not at the horse. After 
vou read this book, go and look at the horse. 

Well, we have had a hard day putting these poor 
horses on their base and balance. In all stages and 



64 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

degrees of changes from natural. Mjliead rings from 
being bent over so much. 

Supper is over. Let us go and see the Kentucky 
hunter. 

"Kit, this is the night you were to show yourself 
to those boys that examined you." 

The reader must bear in mind that this mare had 
not been seen by anyone but myself. 

^- There, Bill Jones, straddle this mare" (Bill Jones 
was a boy). " Let her sail." 

She did sail better than any horse they had. She 
was a good one. Some of the men were there who 
seen her in a stiffened condition. Do you think that 
attracted their attention ? It did not, and that 
is the reason I am writing this work. Next day 
I had business atKelloggsville to pay a stallion license. 
(I have kept stallions.) It was nineteen miles, hubby 
and rough. I was on the Moravia flats eaily 
in the morning. Gird Mead was leading his horses 
across the road to water. I saw him. I knew him, 
and knew where he lived, when I traded with 
his hired man, Sam. He did not know me; never 
had seen me, as I knew. It is a good time to sur- 
prise him. He thought he had played sharp on 
me. The fiats were worn quite smooth, and that was 
all the smooth road I found on that trip I let her 
sail. I saw him looking and pulled up and asked, 
*' IIow far is it to Kelloggsville ?" 

" About six miles." 

] saw him looking at the mare's fore legs. 

''Do 3^ou know her?" said I. 

**\Vell, I had a marc that would match her very 



THE horse's rescue. 6o 

well, but she was stiff. I let her go a few days ago." 

"This is the same mare. I traded with Sam 
G rover." 

" Well, I would like to know what you have done 
to her." 

I jumped out, explained the whole thing to him, as 
I always do, and sailed on. Remember that lever. 
The mare I was driving was worth one hundred and 
fifty dollars, and the one he got, seventy-five dollars. 
1 got twenty dollars to boot. How does that loss fig- 
ure ? Ninety-five dollars on account of toe leverage 
on horses. Do not forget that that principle works 
bad on all horses, and worse on hind feet. I think 
this mare would look better with the neck strap looped 
over the turret to hold the collar up. I do not like 
that thing. She holds her head so high it feels dis- 
agreeable. Here we are at the harness-shop. " Whoa." 
The saddler is getting the length, 

"This looks something like the mare Doc Mead 
had." 

" This is the same mare." 

" That can't be. I saw her a few days ago ; she 
was awful stiff." 

"Tt is the same mare." 

"How did you cure her?" 

1 told him all about it. 

" I have got a horse I just traded for," says he. 
" Perhaps he is the same. He is stiff. Will you go 
and look at him?" 

" Yes, this is a different case ; cause not so easily re- 
moved ; cup foot ; take his shoes off , cut his feet 



66 THE horse's rescuk 

down nearly half; let him go without shoes; that will 
help him some." 

That poor horse could hardly stand ; contracted 
feet, leverage. I cannot do all the hard work and 
furnish brains, too. There are so many making 
more all of the time. I teach, talk eai-ly and kite, 
night and day." Sail home ; get home long before 
night. Thirty-eight miles' drive over hubs; stinging 
cold ; take good care of Kit. While doing it the 
three or four gather around. 

" Doan, where have you been all day ?" 

"To Kelloggsville." 

" We have waited all day for you." 

Horses all lame or interfering; some one thing, 
some another. 

"Can you do it?" 

" Yes, as soon as I get something to eat. I've had 
no dinner." 

Get in shop; sleeves rolled up; at it again. Get 
them all pleased as well as I can. It is nine o'clock, 
perhaps later. Kit must be cleaned oft", and made 
comfortable before I sleep. I will have to wait five 
weeks before I can finish her; but we will have lots 
of good sails during that time in the night. She must 
have exercise or I cannot cure her. This is the way 
I cure all cases of this kind. 

Header, do you think I sat down and waited for 
that time to come ? If you do that would not make 
it so. I had lots of horses I was working on. They 
were not in my care, only as they came to the shop to 
be shod. Work and teach ; give directions none fol- 
fowed. Day after day this work all had to be done 



THE horse's ItESCUE. 67 

over and over again and no good result, some going 
on from bad to worse. Do you know what I thought 
sometimes? Well, I will tellj'ou, I thought the cre- 
ator had not got man finished yet. I have not changed 
my mind yet on that. He needs some more work 
done on him. lie is not polished yet, and that is one 
reason for my writing this woi'k. Men have no knowl- 
edge of the animal, the horse. I have two brothers, 
Oliver Doan and J. J. Doan. Thej^ have been ground 
through this mill for years. Sometimes we were all 
in one shop together, all talking about principles to 
shoe the horse on to keep him from getting lame, and 
how to cure. Sometimes we would agree, and at other 
times we would not, and it would get middling hot: 
but we still kept up the battle for the horse. We 
were working for the horse, not for the man. Some- 
times all scattered singly We all carried on shops in 
many places. 1 worked nine years in many different 
shops. At the age of twentj^-three I opened a shop 
at the little village of jN'orthville, in the town of 
Genoa, Cayuga county, IST. Y. I was a jobber and 
carriage ironei', and carried on that business, connected 
with horse-shoeing. Oliver commenced to work at 
Talcot's Corners with Halsey W. Taylor six j^ears 
after I did. I commenced with Taylor to leai'u my 
trade. For some reason, I know not what, Oliver left 
and came where I was at work at Little Hollow for 
Zenos B. Richmond, who carried on the carriage busi- 
ness,^ jobbing, and shoeing the horse. Kichmond hired 
him. by the year. We worked a year and a half there 
together — his wages thirty dollars a year and board, 
he to clothe himself. He went with me to Northville. 



68 "nErE: horse's resoue. 

We wrestled with the horse there several years. Then 
Josephj another brother, came. He is next younger. 
He tried it for a while and quit. Oliver worked for 
me in all about eleven years. In a short time 
Joseph came and wanted to try it again. Then we 
were all in my shop together. We had lots of hard 
battles balancing these poor horses, all studying on 
some principle to shoe on to benefit the horse. Oli- 
ver had carried on business in the states of New Jer- 
sey, Pennsylvania, and New York. He soon started 
business for himself again. Then Joseph went with him. 
Thus I lost the most trusty man I ever had to work on 
the horse or any other kind of work. I had connected 
wagon-work and painting with my business. That 
they learned and carried on connected with "their busi- 
ness. Joseph changed around ; sometimes he was with 
me and again Oliver. Then he went to work in other 
shops ; Oliver the same the fore part of his life. Joseph 
carried on business in many places, and was sheer 
in the Rebellion for a brigade. I carried on business in 
ten different places. In this horse sail I came around 
in the same place. I always bought. Twice I bought 
the same property, and battled for the horse. I write 
this to show you how queerly this sail worked. We 
were learning the horse-shoeing trade, and we did 
learn it. We are now all together nearly in the same 
place. Each dropped all other mechanical work and 
fell in line, battling for the horse. We have made 
shoeing a specialty for many years, working on 
the l\orse, and intend to keep up this fight. As long 
as we three live single or together, we are all united. 



THE horse's rescue. 69 

It is perfected, as near as it can be, and iron the 
horse's feet. 

Go with me to Auburn citj. There you will see a 
man standing by a fine dapple-gray stallion. His eyes 
are sunken ; he looks care-worn, and his cbeeks are 
liollowed, battling, teaching almost night and day ; J. J. 
Doan d'oing the same. This man's name is Oliver 
Doan. I visit them often while I am writing this 
work to see how the battle is going. They are curing 
liorses without medicine. Keader, do not think this 
is the beginning ; these boys have been master of the 
horse's feet about eight years; and Oliver, as I said, 
has been working almost night and day tr3nng to in- 
troduce and teach this great discovery. He says he 
will never give it up. I looked him over the other 
day. I told him I thought he must give out soon un- 
less he had rest, he was so over-taxed and broken of 
his rest. If we lose this soldier it will weaken our 
army very much. My own back is about given out, 
and Joe's is the same. I left them still in the field to 
write this book. 

Let us go back to Talcot's Corners, where the Ken- 
tucky hunter mare is, and work five weeks on horses 
day after day and nights. I have four or five cup feet 
liorses. I am trying to spread their feet, shoeing on 
the wrong principle. I tried a shoe made in tins way, 
bevel out or incline plane, so that the foot would slide 
out with the weight of the horse. I worked at that for 
years, but I could not gain anything. I soaked the 
feet and drove with the same result. Sometimes the 
feet grew narrower instead of expanding. I made up 
my mind it was wrong, and for this reason : the foot 



70 THE horse's refcue. 

constantly sliding out and going back at every step 
the horse took kept the structure of the foot in 
motion, and it was badly changed from natural. It 
did not remove the cause; on the contrarj^, it irritated 
it — made bad worse. The foot was always dry and 
hard. I dropped that and went back to flat rest on 
heel. That woi-ked better. I rasped the foot in front 
to weaken, so the heels would spread, and put a few 
nails in the toe so as not to hold the heels. Still I 
could gain but little, and often lost more than I gained. 
Wet and dry weather worked against me, but that 
power, the lever, was the worst. For years and years 
I worked to try to save horses from getting stiff, and 
still they came pouring in for relief. If they had never 
seen a blacksmith or shoer, they would have been all 
right, or nearly so ; but I did not know at that time 
they were thrown in such a bad condition, as I after 
many years found out by experimenting. 

It is five weeks since I shod Kit; let us finish her 
off. I always shoe my horses all around at one time, 
unless a shoe should get torn off by accident or other- 
wise. This mare's foot has grown five weeks; the 
lever on the toe has grown some. The heels w^ere 
too low when we shod her. Pare the toe now from 
heel ; make new shoes this time, the same as the first, 
only with thinner heels. The heel is higher on the 
foot. Look up and down the horse's leg and calculate 
how the work should be done to keep the strain off the 
cords; place the foot back as far as she can, and heel 
sit fla.c down on the floor, and not hurt her. If you 
get the heel too high she cannot move well, and it will 
tip her on knee and ankle. This principle works the 



THE horse's rescue. 71 

same on all horses. This mare was contracted but 
very little. Now I am going to test this and see how 
she will stand a big drive in the month of March. 

I drove here on rough roads, up and down hills, 
two hundred and sixty miles, at from fifty to sixty 
miles a day, and no founder, no soreness of cords. I 
had dressed up her feet for the journey. I sold her 
that spring to a Mr. Smith. I shod her while he 
owned her, which was one 3^ear. He sold her to Mr^ 
JSTiles, who also owned her for a year. I continued to 
shoe her. She hauled wood all winter over hubs, 
when Niles sold her for one hundred and fifty dollars. 
In a short time she got in another blacksmith shop, 
and became " foundered " in the chest. Tlien there 
was a row. Niles came to me in a rage. 

" Doan, what is there about that black mare you 
sold to Smith ? They say you say she has been 
foundered. The man I sold her to wants me to take 
her back." 

" I have said nothing of the kind. She was the 
stiffest horse I ever saw when I got her. I removed 
the cause in four days, and can do it again.'' 

He had to take her back. 1 never saw her after 
Niles sold her. I had all the horses I could take care 
of. I could have bought her cheap and sold in a few 
days, and made some more money on toe-levernge. 
I could find this kind of horsesany day, and all over ; 
they were being made everywhere by the vvliolcsale. 
This work is intended to be an eye-opener. It is "The 
Horse's Rescue," and if this does not do it, I shall go 
at It myself again ; it is good business relieving the 
r.ufferincf horse. 



72 THE HORSE*S RESCUE. 

I will bid Kit good-bye. I told her owner that if I 
saw or heard of those mutilators, blisterers, rowel- 
ers, and butchers at her again, I would '*go for 
them." 

Beader, do not think all of these sufferers are to be 
cured like this mare ; if you do, you will make a mis- 
take. No matter what " they sa}^," give your atten- 
tion and learn. After the cause is removed on them 
by working on the feet, they must have work and ex- 
ercise or they cannot be changed back to natural, no 
matter how long or short standing. All must be 
changed back and come in harmony of action, as their 
creator made them, or no cure will be effected. They 
must be balanced on all four feet, their weight equal- 
ized on each foot and in center of each foot. The 
structure of every foot must be in its proper place and 
balanced in the center. Standing with his feet all in a 
huddle under his belly, with his head down, and 
asleep, you could take a natural horse by the tail and 
rock him as you could a chair with rockers on it and not 
move his feet or strain him or hurt him in any way on 
cords or tendons. He can rear up and stand on his 
hind legs straight ; kick up straight and not hurt him. 
I have watched the colt stand for hours balanced 
in this way asleep. If he had not been balanced in 
center, he couM not stand in that position asleep. 
The stiff horse can stand and sleep if his hind legs are 
not shoved too far forward under his belly by lever and 
contraction, and by being run over, something as a 
sawborse stands ; but he has no action, and he is 
obliged to stand in this way, or not stand at all. If 



THE HORDES ^E^SCUE, 73 

be lies down, he often wants help to get up, and can- 
not stand then, 

I had a horse I called Bill. I have seen him play 
for hours in the pasture in this way; he would rear 
up, walk on his hind feet, then come down on his for- 
ward feet, and kick up almost straight. I watched 
him, I noticed his feet all struck in one place in the 
center. That horse could get his head down to eat 
grass and drink water without sprawling out his legs 
or falling over on his head and breaking his neck, 
which I will better explain hereafter. Curious, with 
all of the books we have had ; they never got away 
from tliat poor sore foot, and these wonderful shoes all 
polished up It seems to me they worked a very 
small field on the horse, and it would have been better 
if they had not worked that After the horse got 
so he could not get his head down nor up, they intro- 
duced feeding hay on the ground. It is curious they 
always got it wrong, as I will show they have. Then, 
worse than all, they want to keep it so by trying to 
enact laws so that no blacksmith shall operate on a 
horse's foot unless he has a diploma from some veter- 
inary college or university, or an order from us. 
*' Our heads contain all of the brains and knowledge 
and wisdom, and we will furnish it for you. It is in- 
exhaustible !" My, my ! do you not know a man is 
known by his works? Let us take a sail, and peep 
around and see what we can find, 

I must pass over many years of hard knocks, work- 
ing on and battling for the horse. It will not be inter- 
estino", and I do not want to write it I could not 
L'^t us go in the streetcar shop in Elmira, Here 



74 THE horse's refcue. 

stands a row of horses, and it is all they can do to 
staiiil. What is the matter with tliern? They are all 
oft of tlieir base, caused .b}- levei- power in nil stages 
and deiZTces of chami'e. and all in the wronci- wav. 
" What are these holes cut in here for where the hind 
feet stand? " "To let the toes di-aw in to relieve the 
cords." Let us look around. Hei-e stand some in the 
water — disabled — soaking their feet, which are con- 
contracted, and with tw^o sets of feet, and shoes on; 
liead down, suiTering; blisteis, setons, and all man- 
ner of toi'turing going on. On one side is llie shoeii-.g 
shop; on the othei- is a professor's or veterinai'ian's 
siiin. Professor of what? Torturinf^ the ab-eadv suf- 
fering horse. And yet he gets a good salary. Look 
at the condition of the hoi'ses, and see if he eai-ns it. 
We have professional thieves, gamblers, and liai-s, but 
tlieir occupation is more nsefnl than mutilating these 
poor helpless creatures. This work is " TlIE IIORSES 
Rescue." Gerard Doan is the author of it, and iie 
does not '"scare worth a cent." There are two 
brothers connected with this work — chips off of the 
old block. Let us go to Newburg, in Orange Co., and 
Bee what we can find tliere. We see these horses 
climbing up and down stairs, or inclined planes, two 
stories high, at nearly quarter pitch, in this deformed 
condition, all off base or equilibrium or balance. This 
is not seen, I well know. AVhen these horses are 
moving on the road they are behind themselves. I 
can explain it in no other way bettei- than this. It 
put me in mind of the puppy in pursuit of his shadow. 
The object always remains at the same distance. The 



THE hokse's rescue. 76 

animal is trying to get on his base or foundation. His 
weipht is unequal!}^ adjusted. 

When lookirg around, talking hoi'se, a man says: 
"I have a fine-looking horse. He can liardly walk. 
Will 3^ou go and see him ?'* " Yes." They say he is 
''foundered;" flat feet all around ; shoes on; weight 
in center; corks on shoe; frog on ground; went down 
through the cup; long toes; rounding on bottom; 
bi'oken in front ; coffin-joint injured or dislocated. T 
told the man to pull off the horse's shoes, cut of? that 
lever, and put the weight on the frog. He might get 
w^ell. It would help help him if he did not recover. 
He thought that would not do. Here is another case — 
cup foot. This horse is within a stone's throw of a 
veterinarian's ofRce in Elmiia. Tlie owner says: "If 
3^ou will cure him I will give 3'oa ten dollars." Let us 
examine him. One foot is not half as long as its male, 
and. that is contracted badly. He is only eight years 
old. On one he has what is called a " heart shoe,'' 
frog-bearing; not nearly as long as it might have been. 
Long pointed toe, and ironed solid. He was in great 
pain. 

They were trying to shoe this horse in that way. 
A frog-bearing shoe should never be put on a cup foot 
in any case. It holds the sole up and makes bad 
worse for this reason : the foot cannot expand unless 
the sole can come dow^n. And that is not all ; if 
it is nailed it cannot run down unless the shoe o-ets 
loose, and then the shoer takes a scurfing. This prin- 
ciple is the same on all cup feet. I tried to induce him 
to pull all of the shoes off and dress his feet down at 
the toa Cutoff that lever I could not I walked 



76 THE HOUSE'S RESCUE. 

away. Before I got through this work I will tip over 
rnoie than jou are aware of with that lever. 

Let us sit down on the hotel verandah and have a 
rest, and see the horses pass and study them. This is 
a great thoroughfare to Elrnira, a continuous stream 
of horses passing and repassing, nearly all lame. Some 
are stiff in one way or another. It occurred to me this 
is the place for mc. They are in a worse condition 
here than any place I ever have been in. I lived in 
Tioga countj^, Pennsylvania. At that time I owned a 
farm and was tr3nng to work it. I always had a shop, 
and was always talking horse and teaching all I. could. 
It soon brought a lot of cripples for relief) as it always 
had. There was no place I could do it all. I might 
as we'll sell my farm and give up trying to work at 
any kind of business. I did sell it and all of my 
property except my horses and driving rigs. These I 
must keep. They are all nearly new and good. I 
shall need them to exercise horses if I work on them. 
I had as line a pair as any I saw in Ilorseheads. They 
were wanted to put on the street cars. I said I would 
rather see them dead than let them go there. And 
they were soon dead. Before I got all of my goods 
moved my Bill, that was balanced in center, had gone. 
He was the first to go. I was driving the pair to- 
gether. The roads were muddy. A board was buried 
in the mud. lie stepped on the end ; it flew up, ran 
into him, and killed him. You can see me in a barn. 
John Saterlv, born in liorseheads, examining a horse. 
This horse is five 3'ears old, the very picture of my 
Bill. His foi'ward feet are soaking. I asked, "How 
came the frogs all out of these feet, Mr. Saterly?" 



THE horse's rkscue. 77 

" I think he must have cut them out on stone." 

That is not it; his feet are badly contracted ; the 
circulation is all cut off from the frog by the pressure. 
Tiie sole each side of the frog. You must get him 
out of that." 

" Will you do it for me ?" 

" I wilh" 

"All right ; we will have a frog in those feet in less 
than a year. This horse had not been used in nearly 
one year. He could not travel. He was a present to 
John from a friend. John suffered with the horse. I 
relieved them both. How? I will tell you. I 
spread his feet, and told John to drive him every day. 
In one year he had the colt's foot on him, and John was 
offered five hundred dollars for him. He would not 
sell him. How much did I get for him ? How much 
did I get for that job ? The price of shoeing tlie horse 
and John's friendship, and that is more than I got from 
thousands for the same job. I am going to send John 
one of these books if I live. 

Where next? On the floor in David Townsend's 
shop, driving on shoes for two fighters; work four 
days at one dollar per day ; have a row. I refuse to 
drive on shoes unless they are more properly fitted ; 
am called a damned botch. I told them I never had 
slaughtered horses when I knew it, and I should not 
begin now. I am ordered out of the shop. I picked 
up my tools and told them I would have a shop of my 
own in this place soon. " You can't shoe all of the 
horses if you do," is the reply. 

Where next? In a shop on the banlc of the canal ; 
wrestled with the horse earlvand late. There are nine 



iS THE HORSES RESCUK 

shops in this place. Let us go and look Mr. Bennett's 
stable of horses over, and see how we find them. In 
a suffering condition ; in all stages of suffering. I 
talked with Mr. Bennett. Explain, teach, all of the 
time. He tells me to take them and fix them up. 
What ails this horse in hei'e? Sh ! He is gone up; 
he can hardly stand. He is strained, I think, across 
the loin; his water-works are out of order all of the 
time. " That horse and his mate,'' says Mr.Bennett, 
"cost me eight hundred dollars not long ago." His 
mate had a flattish foot. I shod him. He was in the 
team at time we were talking. " What is so much 
straw in here for?" I asked. 

"He can't stand on the ground." Let us get him 
out of this straw so we can see his feet. Oh, horror! 
this poor horse was neai'lv ready to fall over back- 
ward, as his eyes and general appearance shov/ed the 
intense suffering he was obliged to endure, too plainly 
for any man that had eyes not to see. '' Mr. Ben- 
nett," said I, "do you know what is the matter with 
thathoi-se?" 

"No." 

" Well. I do. I can relieve him in a very short 
time, and will if you will let me. It's a bard job for 
him and me, too, but it must be done.'' 

This horse had not been able to work in a long time, 
and had been crammed with all kinds of trash called 
"medicine." He had shoes on and was higher fi'om 
the top of his hoof down to the point at his. toe than 
any other horse I ever saw His feet were quite 
straight up and down ; his fore legs stood about perpen- 
dicular; his breast was full, his shoulders nearh' all 



THE horse's rescuk 79 

right, his hind feet weet were drawn forward under his 
belly by contraction and leverage, and were of bi.it lit- 
tle use to liirn. II; Lis fore legs bad been braced for- 
ward he would have 2;oncr over backward. It would 
have thrown so much weight on his already overtaxed 
legs, they be'ng so much ofl their bose. This horse 
was eight 3'ears old; weight about thirteen hundred. 
Reader, how would vou like to tackle that horse 
alone as I did? I had a good sweat. I have thought 
hundreds of times in my life that the worth of a man's 
work is not known until he had been dead five hun- 
dred years, and not alwaj^s then. I cut those feet 
down nearly half, balancing the horse as well as I 
could at that time. His feet were very soi'c. I put 
on shoes suitable for him, pared the sole so it could 
come down by his weight in the manner I have already 
desci'ibed (see page 38), packed his feet with clay. 
Remember, no nads back of the widest part of the 
foot. The next morninof, after shoeinQ- this hoi'se, he 
was harnessed to a onediorse wagon loaded with a 
small quantity of lumber, and driven at a walk by my 
orders. He belon2:ed to a man that owned a mill and 
lumber-yard. The horse delivered lumber. I watched 
his feet. Do not foiget to clean in the morning all 
out under his shoe. If you do forget it you will fail. 
This horse was heavy. I balanced him with his 
weight in the center of foot. 

Cripples come pouring in in all degrees of change 
from natural, interferers, and all kinds but those in a 
natural condition. Not one of these arrived in the 
lot. I fixed them all up as well as I could. One 
horse came that it will be particularly well to men- 



80 T^E HORSES RESci;:^ 

tioii. He had a thin-shelled, fiat foot. He was lame. 
His foot was large^ and shod too large — uy on corks- 
center up from i^rcmnd ; his foot spread too much, and 
was constantly springing at every step from the weight 
of the horse. It made him lame. I put clips on tlie 
shoe at the quarters to prevent the springing. He 
went off very well. I told the owner he must not 
leave the shoes on more than four weeks; if he did, it 
would play mischief with the coffin-joint; the sole 
would rise in center. What good did that do? In 
nearly six months after I saw the horse — so stiff he 
could hardly walk, with the same shoes on. They 
had not been set. I talked with the ownier about it. 
He did not like my shoeing. He liked that lever on 
the toe, contraction, coffin-joint lameness, perished 
shouldei's, and a deformed horse, better. It did not 
injure my business any. He had watered or fed him 
three or four times a day. " They say " he is found- 
ered, and that clears up the business. 

Ten daj'^s have passed since I pulled that horse out 
of the straw. He has worked drawing lumber every 
day. It was rainy during tliis time, which was in my 
favor. I did not have to pack his feet. They soaked 
while at work. "Hello, boy! drive up here." (It 
was a boy that drove him.) Let ns examine this 
horse's feet and body. He is working back on his 
])ase fast. His hind legs stand back at least one foot 
farther than he did when we pulled him out of the 
straw. Let us look at the heels of feet all around. 
They are all spread a quarter of an inch over the 
shoe. Take him off the wagon ; let us spread these 
shoes out even with foot, plump; this foot is flatten- 



THE horse's RESCUK. 81 

ing and lowering. The sole is coming down, and foot 
assuming its natural shape. The. structure is grada- 
allv coming into harmony of action. He is improv- 
ing internally and externally. He needs no m.edicine, 
neither does he take any. He is in my care. '-Drive 
on, bov." 

Readers, I was working a large number at the sam.e 
time. Some I helped, some I made worse. Their 
owners all knew more than I did, or they listened to 
that old "they say," and went the rounds from one 
shop to another, until their horses were nearly ruined ; 
then back to me again. I did not have the horses in 
my care, consequently I could not gain anything, con- 
tinually doing the same work over again. It put me 
in mind of a puppy pursuing his tail, the object of 
pursuit ever remaining at the same distance. I assure 
you, reader, it is somewhat trying to a man's powers 
of endurances. I have a little boy, Frank. He is 
fourteen years old now. Since the age of six years he 
has stood by these poor horses for hours, sponging and 
working their legs with warm warter, soaking their 
feet, caressing, and talking to them, while I was shoe- 
ing. He was all the help I had, and see what I did to 
the horses. He can talk horse, and see their suffering 
condition nearly as quickly as I can. 

Two weeks have passed. Let us look to this horse 
that is drawing lumber. His feet are spreading over 
the shoe again. We must spread his shoes again. 
The fever is all gone. His feet do not dry up hard 
now. They need no packing. He can rest nights, 
and can get up, and lie down. Let us spread all of his 
shoes out plump with his hoofs. " Drive on, boy." 



82 THE HORSES RESCIJK 

I had some hard work at balancing during these 
intervals at Mr. Bennett's stables of horses, and 
hundreds of other changes in all staires and decrees. 

Here come two men with a fine jjair of young 
horses. 

'* They say you can stop any horse fi'om interfering, 
lean sell this pair in Elmirafor eight hundred dollars 
if I can get him stopped. I will give you twenty- 
five dollars if you will do it. Gret in and ride. See, 
he creeps with his hind feet." 

" I see. You would not give me that amount of 
money if I did stop him." 

''I will!" 

I had heard that kind of bugling too much to ex- 
pect any twenty-fiv^e dollars, for I well knew I would 
not get it. I saw at a glance the cause of the horse's 
creeping and interfering. "Lead in." 

Reader, lake this lesson. This horse was run over. 
Too much weight on inside, which I have explained; 
lever on toe. He crept for this cause. He hardly 
dared to step. Such ignorance ! Claiming to know 
so much and knowino" so little ! The man told me 
they drove about six miles, and went all clear. 

"I guess the old blower has stop[)ed him," said he. 

He shied around for a while, separated that team 
for fear it could not be done again, then tried to get 
him back, but could not. Did I get the twenty-five 
dollars? No; this is one case in thousands worse 
than that in forty-one years' wrestling with the horse. 
Let us look after this horse whose feet we spread. 
Try and keep track of this one we are experimenting 
on.. It has been six weeks since he was shod. That 



THE horse's rescue. 83 

lever has grown some. His feet are lower from top 

of wall to ground than it was when we first shod him. 
It has been growing all the time. Expanding the foot 
lowers it. The strueture is nearly in harmony inter- 
nally. He begins to play and shows some signs of 
action. Let us shoe him. Reader, these are facts, 
not lies. Dress his feet. What is this we come to 
cupping out his foot, not seen before ? It seems to be 
a mass of corruption, a watery, bloody substance I 
cannot describe. His feet are all the same. At that 
time I had never seen any so bad. Let us pare and 
clean out. There seems to be a sole under this cor- 
ruption. Shoe again, so the foot will expand by the 
horse's own weight. It will go easy now. This horse 
goes in the team again with his mate. Do not forget: 
Like causes produce like effects on all horses. There 
is no safety unless you understand the principles laid 
down in this work. I saw this horse three j'cars later 
at work. I did not go to him. I was riding through 
the village of Horseheads. Good-bye, poor horse. 

I improved the condition of all of Mr. Bennett's 
stable of horses so much that he talked continually for 
me. That brought all of the shoers down on me, and 
the doctors in their rage knew no bounds. During 
this battle I waked up at two o'clock in the night. 
Hearing a noise at the barn I went out and found it 
all on fire. My horse and rigs were all consumed. 
That da}^ was spent in clearing up the wreck. The 
next day I was again in the shop battling for the 
horse. The cripples still came pouring in from all 
quarters. This shop was small. I must have more 
room. During this time a man was stopping at Mort 



84 THE horse's rescue. 

Bennett, Jr's., hotel teaching a credulous but ignorant 
people how to cure stiffened and blind crippled horses. 
He lectured in the streets, and was hired to caie the 
stiff horses. He cbars-ed three dollar?. This was 
done by bleeding in the plait vein. That would cure. 
It would take a few months after the operation. The 
blind were cured bj the same butchery; in fact, it was 
all mutilation. The horses there were a bloody-look- 
ing lot This was carried on for six weeks. These 
horses all came to my shop at first to be shod immedi- 
ately after the bleeding. I told them they were 
fooled. I balanced between contraction, run-over 
feet, and leverage as well as I could. Mort Bennett, 
Jr., had a very fine dapple-brown horse six years old, 
the best muscled horse, I think, I ever saw; in fact, 
the best I ever saw on all points. He had the best 
material in his feet. That is an indication of good, 
fine bone. This horse I had been shoeing. He was 
badly off his base on all of his feetj and badly air- 
puffed on all of his legs, caused by contraction and 
leverage. His feet were walled up behind about four 
inches. They had been allowed to gro"' at the heel 
to keep him on his base and prevent the strain on his 
cords — always pare the toe and never the heel. He 
had gone from bad to worse until he was nearly off 
his lesfs. I had talked with Mr. Bennett about liis 
horse Mike (for that was his name) which was in this 
condition the first time I shod him. I told Bennett 
his feet were badly conti"acted and he could not be 
helped shoeing. He must be shod. I did the best I 
could. It would not do to cut his heels down. He 
would "sore"' in his cords I balanced him upas well 



THE horse's rescue. 85 

as possible. I well knew what would soon be the re- 
sult. In a short time this poor, suffering horse fell e 
victim to that wonderful piofessor of great wisdom. 
Mike had got so bad he could liardlj liobble any 
longer. Something must be done. Mike was sent to 
m}^ shop with a written order from this skilful opera- 
tor, giving directions? how to shoe him, which I well 
knew vvei-e all wrong. I told the hostler to take him 
back and tell that man to send no more of his butch- 
ered horses. I would not shoe them. " Tell Mort 
Bennett," said I, "that when they all get through tor- 
turing Mike I will remove the cause of his troubles 
for twenty-five dollars if yon do not cut his cords off.'' 
Of course that set them all howling. 

Reader, you want to know what that order was. I 
will tell you. It was " pare the toes down until they 
bleed; cut none from the heels; shoe thick at heels; 
thin at toe ; no corks." I have ali-eadv written about 
the condition of these feet inside caused by contrac- 
tion. This order was to cut and trim the foot so it 
would have the appearance of a colt's foot to look at^ 
although it did not say so in words. Header, would 
that work? Would it remove the cause of that poor 
horse's suffering ? I well knew it would not. I can 
tell in advance what the result will be. Caused by 
such work as that, on all contracted feet the cup foot 
suffers the most. The work was done on Mike's feet 
by another sheer. I saw Mike tied to a post a short 
time after, head down. His hair looked dead ; he was 
suffering; his knees tipped and shaking. Mr. Bennett 
came along. I called his attention to it. I told him 
Mike would gnaw his feet in ten days. They had not 



86 THE horse's RESCUE: 

removed the cause. Thej had added more to it. 
After a few months' standing that would be harder to 
cure than at first. That horse was a liver}^ liorsc. lie 
soon gave out. The hostler told me he wns groaning 
and thrashing all night and day. The hips were worn 
through to the bone. I called in to see him every 
day in hopes I might rescue him. The hostler called 
to me, " Doan, Mike is gnawing his foot.*' Previous 
to this I had moved up-town, got in a larger shop with 
three fires in it, and had lectured on the horse in 
front of Mr. Bennett's hotel, and exposed that butcher 
called ''doctor; " called a crowd while I was ti'vinsr to 
teach the people what the cause was of all their lame 
and crippled horses. I was dragged out of the wagon 
I was standing in by Robert Colwell, the boss of the 
towr. I stood just in the same place where that 
slaughterer had lectured six weeks before. He took 
some money away with him. He heard my lecture, 
and sloped that night. 

This book is called the " Horse's Kescue." Let us 
go on with this horse fight ; let us look after Mike. 
While the hostler nnd I were looking at Mike's feet 
Mr. Bennett's came in, and I called his attention to it. 
Mike had gnawed his feet at the top of wall full of 
holes, and his feet were raked all over with his teeth. 
While we were talking, in came the shoer with apron 
on. Then there was another i-ow. Bennett said, 
" Brces, what is the cause of this horse gnawing liis 
feet?"' 

" It is contraction." 

He was right. Mr. Brees shod this horse from in- 
stiuctions this butcher had iziven him. It was not his 



THE horse's ItESCUK 87 

fault ; the butcher was gone before either o£ them 
touched him. He was in the last stacies. The last 
time I shod liim I well knew it. I told Mr. Bennett I 
could remove the cause of all his trouble in four days, 
take all of the air-puffs off his forward legs, and 
straighten his legs. How is that to be done? Make 
him natural. Put the colt's foot on him. Mr. Brees 
says that cannot be done. It must be if he is cured. 
Of course there wns lots of money to be bet. I was 
ready for that. I offered to bet one hundred to ten — 
live hundred to fifty dollars — I could do it. No 
takers. Lots of talk. No help for the poor horse. I 
did not get him that time. He was led back into the 
stable to suffer. Do you know, I could not sleep 
nights. T must have that horse in some wa}^ I talked 
and figured in all shapes. All were fighting; called 
me craz}^ ; some called me a damned fool. I well 
knew if I told them what I intended to do I would not 
get him. I passed the stable going to my shop daily. 
I called to see Miki^ ; his sufferings were intense — 
growing worse every day. As I was passing along 
by the barn Mr. Bennett said : 

"Doan, Iguess I shall have to let you have that 
horse." 

" All right." 

"Now, if you do not cure him you will not charge 
me much ?"' 

"No ; I will leave tliat to your honor. I want him 
for an advertisement." 

" What securit}' am I to have if you injure the 
horse ?" 

" How much do you call him worth ?" 



88 THE horse's rescue. 

"One hundred and fifty dollars." 

"All right. I will deposit the money in the bank 
for you, or I will state before these witnesses, I am 
good for it, and will pay it if the horse dies from any 
cause while in my care." 

"How long do you want him?" 

"Four days. Mr. Bennett, this horse is to be under 
my control four daj^s. If you get dissatisfied during 
this time you cannot take the horse. You must take 
one hundred and fifty dollars and the horse is mine." 
Witnesses w^ere called to that bargain. 

Reader, you can see a man stepping middling high 
and fast going to my shop leading a suffering horse. 
In less than five minutes his shoes were off, and his 
feet were in warm water soaking. I had shoers at 
work in the shop ; horses coming all of the time, lame 
and stiff, to get cured. Horses were going on from 
bad to worse, caused by shoeing. All wanted me to 
shoe their horses. I told them, " When I get this 
horse out of his suffering I will be I'eady for you." 
Some of them cominsc ei2:ht or ten times a day, would 
not let my workmen touch their horses. I had to put up 
with some abuse. Let them bawl, I must cure this horse. 
Reader, here is a good lesson. Let us examine 
these feet, the forward ones first. Let us look at the 
bottom. There is no hollow in this foot. It is, to all 
appearance, a flat foot. It has been dressed in such a 
way that the inexperienced could not tell where and 
how it was changed from natural. The faot is, his 
feet are filled up. They look all right. His heels are 
walled up four inches high from coronet down, nearly 
as high as the foot Is lonir from coronet in front to 



THE horse's rescue. 89 

point of toe. Being dressed in this way tipped his 
knees and ankles the same. His head is down ; he is 
thrown off his equilibrium and base forward; that is, 
over on his nose, or in that direction. This is not all : 
the inside of his foot or structure is all out of har- 
mony of action; his foot is not the natural size; it 
has been cut down at the toe too much, and it w\as 
ironed solid and dead. Before w^e dress these feet let 
them soak in warm water while we look this horse 
over. Understand, this horse has air-puffs on all of 
his legs half wa^'' to his knees and gambrels. Let us 
see what condition his hind feet are in. They are 
contracted as bad as his forward feet. His heels liave 
been cut down ; his feet are shoved forward by this 
contraction. His toe is one inch too long; the struct- 
ure is changed all out of liarmony. He is obliged to 
stand in this position and work. How is this horse 
balanced ? One-half of him is one way ; the other the 
opposite. What must the condition of this horse be 
internally, and he obliged to draw heavy loads daily ? 
Ponder, think! this horse was fed. eighteen quarts of 
oats per day, still he was thin, hair dead, no gloss on 
it. He ate ravenously, and grain passed him whole. 
The fact is, he swallowed his feed without masticating 
it, nearly crazed with pain night and day ; all out of 
harmony all over — intei'nally and externally. I was 
obliged to keep heating water all of the time. I 
heated it on my forge. This poor horse would fall 
asleep and partly fall, and tip the tub over and spill 
the water. 1 had business enough, yet I was abused, 
while I was at this work, by many different ones for 
neglecting my business. They all had cripples they 



90 THE horse's rescue. 

wanted cured My men I paid $2 per day. Customers 
would not let tliem shoe their horses. They said they 
could get their horses spoilt anywhere. No argument 
could convince them I could not cure all of their 
horses shoeing. Some I could cui-e, and had cured 
They all wanted it done, and wanted me to do it. My 
God ! what a load on my poor back and head— neaily 
all cripples. They were increasing on me. I dis- 
charged my help to save money. The}' were of no 
use to me. I did not want to earn all of the n:ioney 
to pay them to sit and look at me work. The fact is, 
I was obliged to lock my shop and put curtains up at 
the windows in order to go on with my work. They 
ke})t up such a confusion I could not work. And yet 
there was not much to be learned. It was tiieir opin- 
ions and beliefs and abuse. 

Let us see if we can go on with this woik now. 
This poor horse continues to fall asleep. We can't 
pare his feet jei, he has had no rest. Some of the 
pain has gone. We wdll have to let him soak and 
sleep a while; we can't woi'k on him yet. Some one 
pon riding on the door every half hour for admittance. 
No admittance! I was alone in the shop. After I 
liad been annoyed awhile I paid no more attention to 
i\ That set them howling. All I could do that day 
was to wash Mike in warm water, keep his feet in the 
tub, and let him sleep. A good night's. I'est will hel}) 
us both. In the shoo a2;ain in the mornin<r, Frank 
can keep Mike's feet in the tub, while I shoe and fix 
U!> other cripples. I must have money to keep the 
wolf from the door. Let us pare an! cup out his 
f j>ot. Let us cut the heels down half. They are 



THE horse's rescue, 91 

tliat ijiucli too high at least. Pare none from toe; 
cap it out ; it is filled up; it is hard as a stone. That 
will do, now. Soak Lim niore ; when it gets soft we 
will cup it more. The doors are open now. Mi*. 
Brees comes in, apron on, to see and talk. His shop 
is nearly opposite from mine. All in a bluster, he 
said : "That is not doctoring horses; that is nursing." 
"Yes, this horse needed some of that." This uproar 
was kept up by many in the shop and all over the 
town. Being in the business oi tracing cause to ef- 
fect and effect to cause, I well knew what ailed them. 
Beat and excel them w^as AAdiat I wanted to do, and 
relieve the suffering horse. That is what I went there 
for. They were all strangers to me. Let them 
fight while we look at this horse. If you wish to 
learn a lesson, look at the iiorse we are working on. 
Now he stands braced out forward ; now his knees 
are tipped, yet his cords hurt him. He can scarcely 
stand. How is that? We cut his lieelsdown; that 
is the cause. Where is the w^eight of that horse 
now, or wdiat is tlie effect of cutting his heels down? 
Before we did that I told you how his weight vv^as 
divided, and the effect of it. This operation throws 
him off his base with two-thirds of his weight on liis 
hind legs, which were also badly oft' their base before 
we cut his heels down. He should be balanced or 
poised in the center, and his equilibrium restoi'cd, that 
is, equalize his weight on the center of each foot^ and 
balance him between the four. This looks like a rather 
hard job, yet it can be done. It will take a little brain, 
work withal. We must get rid of some hallooing 
around this shop ; no one can do anj^thing th'is way. 



92 THE HORSE^S RESCUE. 

Lock the shop again ! Let us finish cupping out his 
feet. It will not do to cut away much near the wall 
at toe; it is thin there now. Pare dowm next to the 
point of frog until you can spring the sole a little with 
a pair of shoeing pincers all around the frog. Pare 
the brace very slanting toward the frog. Care should 
be taken to cut the sole even. Feel with pincers. 
There, these feet are dressed for shoeing. Keep them 
in w^arm water. They have been days all of the time. 
In comes Mr. Bennett. He says he is losing two dol- 
lars per day by the horse lying still. 

"Mr. Bennett," says I, "my time is not up yet. 
Tliis horse's feet are badly contracted. I cannot fix 
him unless I have time.'' 

Now we will make a pair of shoes, narrow web, for 

this horse has a very thick shell ; six nails on each 

side. Nail clear around to heel — light nails. I am 

going to spread these feet. It will be necessary to 

turn the shoe-heels down a little to hold against the 

bi-ace, so as to spread at the heel and take the strain 

off the nails and the shell. Nail solid, and clinch. 

The shoe should rest only on the shell all around ; the 

foot should represent an inclined plain clear to the very 

eda'e of the wall, and be left so when ironed. All 

should slant toward the center of foot. The doors are 

ooen. It is nearly dark. Mr. Brees came in in a 

bluster when I was at work on the last foot, drawing 

the shoe down solid, he looking on. When done, I 

dropped the foot down, and said: "There, Mike, I 

guess I have got you fixed at last." I had been some 

time getting these shoes on to suit me. They did suit 

me, for the operation called out the remark I made. 



THE horse's rescue. 93 

Said Mr. Brees : "I think you have fixed him." He 
starts for the hotel, and tells Bennett I am spoiling his 
horse so I can buy him cheaper. That starts another 
uproar. I was in some fear they would get the horse 
away from me. Yet I did not fear them. I held the 
horse. Let us look at these feet again. Keaders, you 
remember how they were when we first examined 
them. Now look in the bottom of these feet. There 
is a deep hole in this foot. It is cupped out deep, and 
yet it is not cut through in any place ; no blood 
drawn. His foot is narrow, and the shoe follows the 
shell around clear to the heel even. The foot has an 
elongated appearance, and it is so. The horse stands 
braced out, chest sunken in, shoulders dropped back, 
head down. He does not gnaw his feet. He soon 
quit that habit when I got him in my care, and yet 
he can hardly walk. " Mike, to morrow is the last 
day I can hold you on the contract. "We must fix 
you for the night. You can lie down. That will 
save your cords. Your poor feet ache yet, and they 
are feverish. To prevent their drying up too much 
we will pack your feet with sponge, filled with water, 
and tie cloths on them. It will not do to tie them 
tight; that would give you pain. We will gather the 
cloth above the hoof, and sew it so that it will not hurt 
or stop the circulation of the blood. You must have 
a good soft bed. It is late at night. I will let you 
out of some of your trouble before the sun goes down 
another day." This horse is not in my barn, but in 
Mr. Bennett's, which is open to all. This woik, when 
I am gone, must be inspected by all to see what I have 
done. Ml". Brees saw his heels cut down, saw him 



94 THE horse's rescue. 

thrown back in this position. All talk. And I let 
them. I had to. 

Mr. Brees's nephew had a good eight-year-old horse, 
which I wanted to get to cure. I told him I would 
do the job for ten dollars, as it would be an easy one. 
When I first talked wdth him I could not persuade 
him to let me have the horse, and I dropped down on 
the price. It was of no use. I was obliged to give it 
up. His horse's heels were walled up very high, 
tipped on knee; lame in one foot — lame in both, but 
he could not see it. I told the owner that if he was 
mine I would cut the jieels down^ and straighten the 
horse out very quick. He looked at me when I was 
talking. I walked away in search ct another suf- 
fei'er, which 1 should soon have room for. 

Let us go and see how Mike is getting along. It is 
morning, and not light yet. All is quiet, all sleeping. 
We will have to go to the shop, heat some w^ater, take 
the tub to the barn, and soak his feet while he eats 
his breakfast Then we will take him to the shop. 

It may be necessary to state the plan I intended to 
follow out in experimenting lo prevent inflammation 
taking place by expanding Mike's feet so much at one 
time. I well understood this contraction and expand- 
ing principle that was constantly at work, caused by 
wet and dry weather, and tight and loose shoes. It 
did not kill all its victims, but a creat manv it did. 
I liad now to spi-ead the foot and flatten it out at 
once. If I did not do it, there would be no cure. 
The plan was to have the foot as soft and pliable as I 
could make it, so as not to hurt the horse. Tlien I must 
v/atch his feet by feeling to see that no unnatural heat 



THE horse's rescue. 95 

should get the start of me, and I prevented it bj sos.k. 
ing and packing with sponge, as I have previously de- 
scribed, after I had spread his feet I tliink this 
horse's feet are soft enough to spread, and I am going 
to try to spread them. The shop is locked ; curtains 
up at the windows. I am alone. I cannot hold J]is 
feet and spread them ; my arms are not strong enouo-h 
to do it in this position. I can make a screw, but that 
will take me nearly all day, and my time is growing 
short. This horse is expected to be on tlie road to- 
morrow. It will be of no use to ask these fighters to 
help me, and I have other reasons for not wantino- 
their assistance, which I will explain hereafter. I wdl 
take Mike to my barn, and get my wife to hold up, 
his feet. The reader can see a frail woman holding 
up the foot of a horse that weighs about twelve hun- 
dred, thrown off his base by contraction and leverage, 
struggling to stand on one foot, which he takes away 
many times; it hurts him so to stand. Do you know 
she was in great danger of getting hurt? She weighs 
about one hundred pounds. We were alone in this 
barn, but we accomplished this difficult task. It is 
two good men's work. We flattened his feet out bj 
spreading about three-fourths of an inch. Look at the 
bottom now. It has the same appearance to -look at 
that it did when we commenced woik on it, but the 
cup is all gone, and the foot is flat Who can tell how 
this is done unless he sees the operation ? No man. 
This horse's heels are low now. I had cut ihem down 
half or more, and expanding lowered them still further 
The horse's heels are wide ; his foot is nearly round ; 
he has got the colt's foot on. and the structure of his 



90 THE horse's rescue. 

foot is all in harmony inside and out. His body goes 
forward on its base with weight in center of the foot. 

It will be well to more minutely explain this process 
of preparing feet of this kind for operation. This 
horse's feet were badly rolled up in at the base of heels. 
Expanding raises the heels until the wall e^ets perpen- 
dicular. When it passes the line it lowers. In order 
to have it come in perfect harmony when expanding, 
you must use all the judgment you can command. If 
3^ou leave the heels too high you w^ill tip his knee ; if 
too low, it will strain the cords, and either will throw 
the horse off his base to a greater or less degree. He 
W'ill not move well, though it will not kill him. After 
the foot has been expanded, the shoe should not be 
taken off again in any case until the hoof has had time 
to grow and settle. Then it may be removed. If 
you should take the shoe off before, the foot vrould go 
back, which would create great heat, and cause great 
suffering to the horse; to get him out of which the 
same work would liave to be done over again. 

But we will fini.sh this horse. As I said, he has got to 
go on the road to-morrow. Spreading this horse's feet 
did not seem to effect him much at first. He tried 
them by stepping first upon one, then the other. For 
a while I watched him. His head went up. I moved 
him moderately around the barn floor. At first he did 
net seem to have full control of his legs. I was in 
danger of being hit with his feet, and yet it was no 
fault of his, the change being so great. Let us give 
liim a chance to recover; he is changed in many ways. 
Let us take him outdoors and lead him around. In 
no case at first get on the horse : he has all he can do, 



THE horse's rescue. 97 

if he is changed on all of his feet at one time, to hold 
his own weisfht, until he has time to recover his eauilib- 
rium and bi. lance. It gives him a sick and weaken- 
ing sensation ; all is changed so suddenly internally 
and externally. I led him on the back streets. He 
soon wanted to trot, and I ran with him, my hand hold- 
ing his halter at the head. After running some time 
with him, his legs flying in all shapes, he seemed to go 
faster. We started through the business part of the 
town, which I was obliged to do to get to my shop, 
Mike swung me and carried me clear from the ground 
many times with his head, I could not help it He 
was a powerful horse in all ways. He was coming to 
himself. I got him in the shop as quick as I could, 
locked the doors, got his feet in some hot water, 
rubbed and washed his legs, and rubbed all of the air- 
puffs off. The air-puff' is caused by the skin being 
loosened by unnatural action of the feet and legs, 
which forms a vacuum, which fills with air. It in no 
case should be opened. The cause Is removed. Let 
us rub the air out through the skin while Mike's feet 
feet are soaking in warm water. They will stay out as 
long as we can keep him natural. Nearly all horses 
are badly changed fjom nature when air-puffs appear 
in many ways and stages. Of course that sail through 
the town attracted the attention of many. Some said 
I was crazy; some called me a "damned old fool." 
I understood all of that blowing too well to let it effect 
me. I got in the shop and let them pound the door. 
I kept on a straight line and on my base, which they 
did not at all times. Let me paint a picture, while 
Mike's feet are soaking, of what I saw pass this shop 



98 THE horse's rescue. 

one day. This is only one of tbonsands, whicl] can be 
seen almost any day, and many times some days, if 
you have eyes. The raih'oad crossing was close to ray 
shop. They had raised and graded so it made a little 
rise. I saw a horse and wagon coming, the horse thin 
in flesh. The wagon had two seats; three persons 
were on each seat and there were some bags in the 
hind part of the wagon. A man on the front seat, 
with a hickory club as large as a broom-handle, five 
feet long, was pounding the horse, which could hardly 
move. The man was badly off his balance. I cast my 
eyes to the horse's feet. They were very long; his hind 
ones so long that he could not rise over the lever with- 
out breaking his legs. I stepped out into the road and 
stooped down to see what shape he put his feet in to 
get up that slight grade. ISTo tM^o feet were traveling 
on the same line. He was wringing and twisting to 
draw that load, and that club was playing on him con- 
stantly. He turned his toes some in, some out. He 
could not rise over that lever. Do 3^ou know what I 
thought at that time? Can it be possible the creator 
has made such a botch making mankind? This has 
the appearance of a perfect botch. It has occurred to 
me many times since that man was not in any wise per- 
fected yet. He has still something to learn, and I con- 
tinue to hold the same opinion. Let us look this 
wagon over. It comes in all right, as this work is 
called " The Horse's Rescue." This wagon is heavy 
enough for two horses ; in fact, it is a two horse wagon. 
Every wheel makes a separate track, something 
as a snake would crawl; wheels grinding on the 
shoulders of the axle, which has not been oiled in 



THE horse's rescue. 99 

three months; so much gather that they are constantly 
sliding on the ground, trying to keep on a straight 
line. If they could move the way they are set they 
would travel on lines that would cross each other sixty 
rods ahead of the point where the wagon stood. The 
driver being badly off his base, and out of harmony, 
and the wagon running on the wrong principle, added 
greatly to the horse's suffering. The poor h rse, also 
off his base, trying to draw that heavy load up an in- 
clined plain rising over a long lever, has rather hard 
work ; and yet he had to endure it, and it is no fault 
of his. Look out for that lever! There is a power 
in lever principle. 

After this poor horse has dragged that load up hills 
manv miles, for his reward he is stabled in some old 
rookery you could throw a cat through ; cold, bleak 
wind and snow howling through ; some old rotten 
clover-stack hay for his rations; the place where he is 
tied and obliged to stand has not been cleaned out in 
three months, and ofttimes more ; his hind parts ele- 
vated according to the size of the pile. 

Keader, the horse has four legs. It makes a vast 
difference to him how he stands; give him his head, 
he will tell you whether the position he is obliged 
to stand is not" right. How is he going to rest lying 
in this position- — hind parts elevated in this way ? 
Some morning he is found cast. Then club and boots 
are used to help him up; if this does not raise him, a 
chain is put around him, and he is drawn out of his 
uncomfortable position. He cannot rise. The hard 
treatment, that lever, the abuse he has been obliged to 
endure, have exhausted all of his power of endurance. 



100 THE horse's liESCUE. 

And this is no uncommon thing ; it is a very usual 
thing. Take a peek around. I have been peeking 
around many years. I went into a shop in Auburn 
city, and I saw two men turning horse shoes. I 
looked at them a few minutes, then walked away. In 
a short time I met one of these men on the street. He 
said to me : 

"Were you in my shop peeking around to-day?" 

" Yes," said I ; " I was in your shop." 

" I can beat any man in the state turning shoes," 
he rejoined; "lean turn one hundred shoes in just 
foi-ty minutes !" All talking about the number of 
slioes made, and none about the principle the work 
should be done on. This man was badly off his bal- 
ance. There is great danger of shipwrecks and collis- 
ions when driver, horse, and wagon are all out of har- 
mony. But let us not forget Mike. The plan must 
be carried out to prevent inflammation taking place in 
Mike's feet. I was with him, taking his feet out of 
warm water for a time to see if I could feel, by placing 
my hand on his hoofs, any change of heat arising. I 
did not perceive any change. I thought my plan was 
going to work. Of course there was no sleep for me 
that night. This horse was out of my control in the 
morning. He would be put on the road the next day. 
There was no use in protesting; they all knew every- 
thing that was worth knowing, and what they did not 
know was of no use to any one. I had to take all of the 
chances and do the hard work. When daylight came 
you might have seen a tired man standing by this 
thankful horse soaking his feet in warm water, and 
washing his cords, helping them to change back to 



THE HOESE'S rescue. 101 

their natural place to give him as little suffering as 
possible. That plan holds good yet. It does help 
and relieve the suffering sooner than if it was not 
done There is one thing yet to be explained, that is, 
how tbatprocessofspreadingMike'sfeet worked. When 
the foot contracts the sole rises in the center, ihat 
pushes the structure of the foot up in tiie center and 
raises it out of the cup or coronet at the top. Bxpand- 
ino- lets it down. These wonderfully wise people could 
no°tsee how this was done. The hostler swung his hat. 
'■ Doan has cured Mike. I don't know how, but he 
has done it." The shoes had to be looked at and pat- 
terned after. They are just the thing. Of course 
they must steal the secret; it is a big thing. Those 
lips on the shoes at the heel are not of much use. He 
has cut the heel down. Mr Brees and his relative 
(the one who had the siiff horse I tried to get) are 
eoin- to cure their horse I saw in the shop. I coald 
sit in my shop and look in theirs. This horse being 
buckskin in color, we will call him Buckskin Before 
we commence on this horse we must see Mike off on 
the road. He was to let out. I was at the barn and 
watehed him. He was whipped, up when he turned 
around the corner and fell on his knees. He was not 
yet used to the change. But he was driven and 
hurried off his legs, which I told them over and 
over again, they must not do. I thought to my- 
self "What is the use of trying to do anything with 
such a pack of damned fools?" I am not yet done 
with poor Mike. We will let him sail a while. He 
is still in very bad shape. t^ i i • 

Let ua see what they are doing for poor Buckskin. 



102 THE horse's rescue. 

We can see from my shop. This is a good time to 
trace cause to effect. They are cutting his heels down. 
That is right so far, but they have left the toe at least 
one inch too long. They have got his shoes patterned 
after Mike's as near as they can. He is coming out 
of the shop. He has to be pulled out, for he can 
liardly move. What is his condition now? He is 
thrown back off his base the furthest I ever saw. Let 
them work ; it's no use to say anything to them; it 
would only set them to bawling. The crowd gathers 
around this horse. All talk ; no one knows what ails 
this poor horse. The owner looks rather worried. 
His horse is in a worse condition now than ever, he is 
braced out so bad that his back sinks down. If you 
should get on him he could not hold youi" weight. He 
can hardly move This horse stand now on the oppo- 
site side of the street from Mr. Brees's shop. It is no 
use to talk to them. They all fight me. Let us walk 
away. We will watch that horse and see where his 
suffering ends. I have many horses to look to. They 
need my care. I can't relieve them all, but I will do 
all I can. I woi'k for the horse, not the man. I 
nearly always had from one to four horses in my barn. 
Some my own; some belonging to others; and which 
I was caring for in different stables, and my shop was 
to be kept up. I had almost a night and day business 
to watch the changes and effects in all stages I was 
determined to get master of this complicated business. 
I was sure there was a way out, and I would find it, 
let it cost what it might. It is morning again. While 
going to my shop I passed the place where we left the 
buckskin horse. He was about two rods from where 



THE horse's rescue. 103 

W8 left him the night before. His owner was with 
liim, and looked worried. He had a keg witii a swab 
in it, and was daubing his feet. I walked in. I felt 
sorr}'- for him and his horse. Said I, " What is that 
stuff you are putting on ?" 

"It is tar, kerosene, and soft-soap." 

*' Mr. Brees, it is of no use. You had better give 
me eight dollars. Your uncle cannot steal this great 
discovery. (I know not whether he was his uncle or 
not, but their names were Brees.) The principle is 
what I want to lay down correct in this work. They 
had disabled this horse completely by throwing him 
off his base, cutting his heels down. They had 
lengthened the lever so much it had sprung his back 
down and thrown neai-ly all of his weight back of cen- 
ter. There he was fastened, and was obliged to stay. 
They knew no way out of this serious trouble. I 
would have helped them out, but they would not take 
any lessons. This was early in the fall. The horse 
was missing, and I lost track of him for a long time. 
I think it was in the month of March following that I 
saw Mr. Brees doing^ his chores at his barn. I went 

CD 

in. There lay this Buckskin horse. I asked, "Has 
this horse been lying in this condition all of this 
time?" 

"Yes." 

" Does he stand up?" 

" He can, but lies down nearly all of the time." 

" Are those the shoes you had put on last fall ?" 

" Yes." 

" Have they ever been reset since ?" 

"No." 



104 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

"Mr. Brees, it would be my advice to pull those 
shoes off, cut off his toes some, pare the toes down 
well ; cut no more from the heels ; give him room to 
travel around, and put no more shoes on him for six 
months. That will help him some. It will not cure 
him by any means." 

He did so. I saw him driving Buckskin many months 
afterward, and he was quite a horse. His knees were 
tipped yet, but if they had done what I did to Mike's 
feet after cutting his heels down, and shortened his 
toes a little more, lie would bave goLe back on his base 
or nearly so; instead, it threw him further off. It 
would have straightened his legs at the same time^, 
Mike is in trouble again, but it does not surprise me. 
I have got used to this business. It has become a 
common thing; I well knew he would be. He was in 
a very bad shape when he started from the barn. He 
has been on the road about two weeks. Mr. Bennett 
said : 

"Doan, there is somethins: wronc]r about Mike's hind 
parts." 

"Yes; there always has been since I knew him." 

" Can you fix him behind ?" 

"Yes, if I can have him in my care and control 
four days. Nobody must use or exercise him but my. 
self during this time." 

"All right," says Bennett, "go ahead." 

It is a hard job to get this horse's hind feet in the 
soakirg tub and keep them in. My little boy Frank 
cannot do it ; that's a man's business. I shall have to 
neglect my shoeing for a while almost entirely to at. 
tend to this horse and those I have in the barn. Mike was 



THE horse's rescue. 106 

was divided against himself. His forward parts were 
changed so astolethis weightgo back on thebase,which 
it did when he stood still. But his hind parts were con- 
stantly pulling his fore parts off the base — always on 
a strain — when he was on his feet (which I have ex- 
plained). When traveling he had to draw his hind 
parts with his forward parts over that lever, caused by 
contraction, drawing his hind feet forward under his 
belly. It hurt him so that it caused him to amble. 
I saw when he left the barn what position he was 
thrown in. But what could I do ? Tliey were all so 
smart, and they were losing so much money by their 
horses lying still. Some people are always stopping 
spile holes and leaving the bung out. The fact is, 
Mike was divided against himself. How are we going 
to put him in harmony of action, balance him in the 
center, and take those large air puffs off? The prin- 
ciple we applied on his forward feet will work behind 
more tlian it did forward to change him. It seems to 
effect all liorses more on their hind legs chang- 
ing them back to natural, and it affects them behind 
more to change from natural to unnatural. I soaked 
Mike's feet, spread them, and carried out my plan as 
nearly as I could under the circumstances and the sur- 
roundings I had to contend with. Tlie sole is the 
guide in spreading all feet. Some require more, some 
less, according to the degrees of change. No rule can 
be laid down. If the foot is skilfully dressed and pi-e- 
pared, you can spread until the sole comes down nearly 
flat. You must look when you are spreading to see 
if you can see it come down. It must spread at the 
same time clear to the top of the wall. If you do not 



106 THE horse's RE?CUE. 

see it flatten after you have spread a little, you must 

stop and walk the horse arouiid or run with him. 

Spread in pairs so as to drive the sole down. Look 

and see how much it has come down. Soak in warm 

water, spread again ; continue to move him around 

until the sole is down flat. Some horses are so bad 

their feet are pushed clear out of tlie cup at the top 

and pinched in at the bottom. If great care is not 

taken in preparing the foot for this operation, the foot 

will get pinched at the top of the wall, the bone not 

having room to go down between the cup at the top. 

It would not kill the horse, but it would cause him 

suffering for a few hours, then it would matterate and 

cause a flaw in the hoof. It should be spread enough 

to give it room to go down before he is driven much. 

These are cases of long standing, as a general rule, but 

there are many exceptions to that. If you do not 

cut the heels well down joii will be likely to get him 

pinched, for this reason : it would spring the foot out 

ai the bottom, which .would throw it together at the 

top. You must see it go together both top and 

bottom. 

Let us look at Mike after spreading his hind feet, 
and see where he has gone to, caused by spreading the 
foot half an inch His body has all gone forward on 
the base ; his back has lowered across his loin ; his 
forward parts are relieved of their constant strain. He 
is mnited again; that is, the cause is removed. Some 
hard work will have to be done yet to make him com- 
fortable. The air-puffs have all gone around on the 
front side of his legs. It hurts him. He stands up 
on his toes. He won't }>ut liis heels down to a fliit 



THE horse's rescue. 107 

rest. He must be got down on his feet one at a time, 
stand him in a tub of warm water, while those air-puffs 
are rubbed out through the skin. This shop is locked, 
curtains up. I am alone. This is a heavy and power- 
ful horse. There is no other way to get him out of this 
fix except to compel him to stand on one foot, which 
must be done by raising the others. It is " business " to 
hold up the hind parts of that heavy horse, he standing 
up on his toe, and keep him in the tub and rub his legs 
at the same time, and change around and keep it up 
for three or four hours. Walk him around the shop. 
Soak and rub. Hold him up while doing it; get him 
nearly down on his heels ; air-puffs are nearly all gone. 
Open the doors ; out we go. Eun with him awhile; 
tie to tree, take up one leg, rub the other, the horse 
straddling and throwing two-thirds of his weight on 
me all of the time. Cliange legs five or six times, 
then run with him again ten minutes ; tie to the fence 
the same. Up with a leg by main strength ; rub and 
change. Keep this up. Run and tie for two hours or 
more. Then run with him to the shop; get both of 
his feet in the tub of warm water. He stands down 
on his heels flat rest. The air-puffs are nearly all gone, 
and some hair is rubbed off in spots. That will soon 
come in as^ain. His trouble is over for a while. I had 
no time during the operation to [isten to bawlers. I 
could hear them any time, and not go out of my way. 
It affects the air-puffed horses on their hind legs all 
in this way, and they have got to go through this or 
no cure. It is business, but it brings them out all 
right in a short time if it is done as it should be. 
Mike is changed, or the cause is removed. Ho should 



108 THE horse's rescuk 

have a chance to recover from the effect of this great 
change. 

His hind feet were not so hard, and it did not take 
so long to soften his feet. After this hard day's work 
for me and Mike, I got him in his stable and made him 
as comfortable as I could by packing his feet with 
clay (other packing would do as well, tlie object being 
to keep his feet moist). Thus I left him and went to 
my barn, where I had business for more than half of 
the night exercising, caring for, and watching the effect 
of changes on horses, and the time it took to recover 
from the change. These horses were different from 
Mike, which I will explain by and by. It is m.orning. 
I must go and see Mike. I was at the barn before 
there was much stir in town. I found Mike in a bad 
fix. The hostler was there. How is this? Some one 
has been driving this horse, and has nearly driven him 
off his legs. He stood up on his toes, and coulel 
hardly stand on his hind legs. Tho hostler told me 
Mike was out all niglit. Of course there was some 
loud bugling. It could be heard ten rods at least. 
This hard work is to be done all over again to get him 
down on his heels. It will take me all day, and it 
did ; besides, it has caused Mike unnecessary suffer- 
ing. I pulled him out of the barn. I had got in the 
middle of the street. Mike was hobbling upon his 
toes. Mr. Bennett, hearing the uproar, came to the 
front door of the barn. 

"Doan, what is the matter with that horse?" 

"It is the change." 

"I don't like that kind of charore." 

"I will have liim all right by night. If you want, 



THE horse's rescue. 109 

one hundred and fifty dollars come and get it, and let 
me have the horse'' 

He walked away. The same process — soak, rub 
run, and tie to go through with again, all caused by 
their not doing as they agreed. How do \^ou like 
reader, the business I am at work at? Let us stick. 
Never give up the ship. I got Mike in the barn at 
dark that night. He was down flat rest on his heels, 
and his ankles were weak. I. bandaged his ankles, 
packed his feet, and left him again, and told them he 
must have rest or they would have him down. The 
next day T soaked his forward feet and spread them a 
little. They had grown some. It had been nearly 
three weeks, the foot flaring from top of wall down to 
tread. If it was not ironed. I would be wider and 
not wear off, which it could not for this reason : the 
wear was on the shoe and not the hoof, and it was 
ironed so it could not expand. What would be the 
result if I did not spread his feet a little ? The sole 
would raise, he would be thrown off his base again, 
according to the degree of change of which I have 
already written. He has six nails on each side of 
these shoes, put there on purpose for this operation. 
Let us draw out two of these heel nails on both sides. 
We have spread his feet and given them liberty. Thev 
will spread with his weight if they are kept soft. Do 
not get discouraged. With all of the hard work we 
have done, he is not right yet. His toes on his for- 
ward ff^ct have more lever. They have grown since 
his shoes were set three weeks ago. Spreading his 
feet at the heel will help him some, but that does not 
shorten the lever by any means. To have him right 



110 THE horse's rescue. 

he should have had all his feet fixed at the same time. 
I cannot do away with that lever. If I could it would 
be one of the biggest things man ever invented. I 
can see no waj except to kill the horse ; then it would 
cease to grow. Putting on trash to stop a foot from 
growing too fast, or to make it grow faster and iron- 
ing, causing great fever and heat, and preventing na- 
ture from having its course at the same time, is rather 
antagonistic and claiming a little too much power. 
Horses must, if ironed, travel on unnatural feet all of 
the time, with the lever at a greater or less degree of 
length. Before I get through this woik I shall tip 
over more than you dream of with that lever pov/er. 
I started to go to the end of the whole business. We 
will put Mike in his stable again, pack his feet, all 
four. The ignorant never have seen anything 
wrong about the horse's hind feet, which should 
have equal care. His hind feet and legs are necessary 
to him. He sends himself off with his hind legs, and 
draws more with them if he is as the creator made 
him — which a very few are that have been shod — he 
does not stay so but a short time. We will have to 
let Mike sail on the road three or four weeks and 
watch hini. Take care of his feet; no one else will. 
Neither will they ])ay for doing it. They had rather 
sit with their feet on the back of chair topp and smoke. 
Doan will shoe, balance all tlie cripples, and cure 
tliem and keep them cured. He is willing to do it, 
and we are willing he sliould. We can drive the 
horses off their legs, and then go to him. It is not 
necessary for us to be broken of our rest, neither is it 
any use for us to know how he does it 



THE HORSES RESCUE. Ill 

Reader, this has been going on in this way for many 
years. I will say right here that I never received but 
five dollars in forty-one years aside from the price of 
shoeing, except what I made by buying and trading 
for these cripples, curing them and letting them go 
again That five dollars was paid to me by Mr. 
Hatch, of Auburn city. I gave half of it to my 
brother, J. J. Doan, who did nearly all of the work. 
Mr. Hatch gave me all I charged, and would have 
given me more, but that was not my object. I wanted 
to introduce this great discovery, and relieve the suf- 
fering horse; and that is what I am writing this "'''■ork 
for. T have put thousands of dollars in the pockets of 
others, and will continue to do so if they will read 
this work, and stud}^ the horse. It is no trouble to 
look at a horse. They are before you nearly all the 
time. Let us look at a pair that are passing now. 
These horses are in Ilorseheads, the place I am at work 
m now", and shall be for some time to come 3'et. 

This pair of horses are about six years old — a 
matched pair of browns. They are valued at one 
thousand dollars. I have looked them over in the 
stable many times. Let us take a side-view of them 
in harness. lu order to see these horses as you should, 
you must see tw^o pairs at the same time; and yet 
there is but one. You should see this pair first, as the 
creator made them, before man tried to improve on 
them. They stand w'ith their forward legs back of 
straight; lieads up, neck arched, head in, with mouth 
closed; weight equalized on center of all four feet; 
balanced in center; no strain unnatui'al in any wav ; 
their head pointing on a straight line, and feet all 



112 THE horse's rescue. 

pointing on a straight line, providing thej have had 
their liberty to exercise and wear off their feet as fast 
as they grew, and been trimmed and cared for. They 
stand the perfect natural horses, as their creator made 
and intended them to be. Now we will look at them 
and see man's impi'ovements, trying to make horses 
over, or, in other words, excel 1 the creator. 

I had looked at this pair of horses almost daily for 
over a year, passing and repassing. They are fitting 
these horses for market for coach horses ; it will not do 
to say anything to them; neither it v^nll it do to point 
out any defect in them, or tell them how to improve 
their movement ; it would set them bawling. Read- 
ers, let me tell you their suffering condition, then you 
can step out and see thousands all around you ; and, 
travel where you will, 3'ou cannot miss seeing them 
if you have eyes and use them. I will try to describe 
the suffering condition these horses are thrown in. 
The causes are many, and hard to describe. As this 
work is tracing cause to effect and effect to cause, we 
will begin at the first cause. That is, the fallible be- 
ing, man, is ignorant of natural laws and the suffering 
produced by abusing them. These laws are the crea- 
tor, and I recognize no other. The horse is the inno- 
cent and helpless sufferer, and is part of the creator's 
works. Through ignorance he has been made a great 
sufferer — the greatest of all the ci'eator's works; and I 
send this work on its mission for tlie purpose of res- 
cuing them from their deplorable condition ; and I ap- 
peal to the supreme court of heaven to back me up. 
Man's courts would be oi but little use to me; no jus- 
tice can be had in them. Let us return to this pair 



THE horse's rescue. 113 

of horses. They are all thrown off their base in many 
ways, which I have explained. Like causes produce 
like effect. This is a pair of matched horses. This is 
to show you how well they work and come together, 
and shows their action and movement together, and 
what a hard time a man has that has no knowledge 
of the horse, and the cause and effect he is obliged to 
contend with, and does not know it. The nigh horse 
is badly off his base on his forward legs, and a greater 
degree on his hind legs. Two-thirds of his weight 
is on his hind legs. His feet are all different lengths, 
and all run over; some traveling the same line, some 
not, and none on straight line. He wrings his feet at 
every step, and ambles on his hind feet. This move- 
ment is caused by contraction, leverage, and run-over 
feet, produced by ironing and not balancing him and 
equalizing his w-^ight; and that is not all. Contrac- 
tion has lengthened the lever on his toe to a far greater 
length than you are aware of. You cannot see it 
beyond the toe of his foot, and yet it is. This horse 
is nearly always lagging behind his mate, unless he is 
constantly urged up with the whip. Let us look over 
his mate ; he is the same, only not quite so bad off. 
On his hind legs the lever is not quite as long ; he 
single foots. They are both thrown back off their 
base badly, and are obliged to stay so, for all the 
great wisdom their owners have contained in their 
heads. Let us look at the gaggers and see if they help 
the action and movement of these poor tortured crea- 
tures. Readers, remember these horses are drawn 
down by contraction and leverage, braced out and 
fastened there. 



114 THE horse's rescue. 

Kow tliey are trying to make them carry higK 
heads by over-draws and checks. What is the effect 
of this? It adds greatly to the suffering of these 
horses. It throws them off their base further than 
they would otherwise be. Their necks sink down, 
their noses stick straight out, and they have the ap- 
pearance of camels; the lines are so arranged they 
turn their heads out nearly one-quarter around, when 
they should point on a straight line when the horses 
are traveling on a straight line. And that is not all. 
They have been kept in the stable not very light. 
They are brought out in the sunlight gagged up, and 
obliged to have the sunlight pouring in their eyes, 
while the driver must have a sliade over his tender 
eyes and head. This is a rather hard picture, but 
these are facts. 

Let us look at the driver; he sits on the front edge 
of the seat; he appears as though he was sitting on a 
jug. He wants to go faster, his hands extending out 
toward the horse's loin. With each hand he has the 
appearance of pushing on the lines. He does not like 
the movements of his horses, but is ignorant of the 
cause. It does not take a very clear observer of 
human nature to see the unrest and woriy he is 
obliged to endure, caused by the awkward movements 
of his horses. Let us watch himcii'de them. He will 
be obliged to make a large circle, or they will be likely 
to fall. See, he is turning them to the left. The 
near horse's head is drawn by the lines the course he 
wants him to take. His mate's head is drawn the op- 
posite. Reader, is it not curious that these horses can- 
not move together ? Let us look and see how they 



THE horse's rescue. 115 

handle their feet. They have but little knee action. 
They drag one foot over the other. If they are har- 
ried, they will be likely to tread on their own feet, and 
on each other's. The near horse sags back on making 
this circle ; the off horse swings his hind parts out 
against the trace. 

There are all degrees of this awkwardness, accord- 
to the change. This pair are not very bad yet. They 
were sold, I heard, for one thousand dollars, to a gen- 
tleman in Bath, Steuben county, K. Y., though the 
story IS not to be relied on ; but it can be done any 
day, and is every day, all over the world. Horses are 
sold and bought, and large prices paid for them, in all 
stages of change from natural, and ofttimes they are 
in the last stages. It does not seem to affect the sale 
or price, for this reason : the people are ignorant of 
the horse, and the position he is in. I could have 
balanced them better than they were if I could have 
shod them in my shop, by dressing their feet, making 
the levers on the toes of equal length, shoeing them 
all arourd at the same time, having the hind feet in 
pairs, and the fore feet the same, and work to one- 
sixteenth of an inch both on thoeand foot, eye always 
on run-over feet. I could keep them from showing 
their defects by limping, for they limped equally on 
all their feet. I have balanced thousands of these 
poor horses between contraction and levei-age and run- 
over feet in forty-one years, and while I am experi- 
menting nights I am doing all I can at this hard busi- 
ness daily to get money to keep my horses, which I 
have no use for only to see if I can find out what ails 
all of these poor cripples. My close and careful worl^; 



116 THE horse's rescue. 

on the horse's foot gave me a good run of business; 
more than I wanted. Many thought I could cure 
their horses by shoeing, for this reason — they did not 
limp. That was all they knew, or could be taught 
about it. They would come pouring in from a dis- 
tance, sometimes thirty miles, and oittimes more. 
Some I could help, some were out of my reach, and 
I could not help them by shoeing; but I could get 
them out of their trouble, if I could have them in my 
care a short time. 

"What will you charge me," they would ask, "to 
cure m}'' horse?" 

" Well, it is worth from ten to fifty dollars to do it. 
It depends something on what ails the horse, and what 
condition he is in when I commence on him." About 
nine out of ten would rail out on me in this way : 

" When you get ten dollars out of me for shoeing a 
horse you can consider 3^ourself damned smart;" or, 
"When you fool me you will have to be smarter than 
T take you to be." 

That kind of talk I have heard daily, and many 
times a day, in the past ten years. Before I get 
through this work I will show you these smart men 
could be fooled badly. I experimented on the hoises 
a little, just -to see if I could fool them. I did not 
take any of their money. 

Mike has come around again to be shod. He has 
done some traveling. His shoes are nearly all worn 
off his feet. These shoes were flat all around, and 
were nearly worn in two at the toe. Their wearing 
off saved Mike's cords some. His forward shoes has 
been on seven weeks, his hind shoes four weeks. He. 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 117 

](^oks line ; Viis liair begins to look briglit and glossv, 
and jet he has been traveling out of liarmony somo^, 
for this reason, that the lever on his foi-e feet has been 
the longest. If it had been the longest on his hind 
feet the effect would have been more serious, which I 
well knew wlien I set him sailing. Mike always had 
a good friend peeking around, waiching and carini;' 
for his feet, to see they did net dry np hard. Mike, 
we will put the polish on you this time. 

Readei', I have laid down the principles for expand- 
ing the foot by shoeing a little on the Kentucky 
hunter mare. That principle is right, and all there is, 
except to spread it out at once. We will make the 
lever on all of Mike's feet equal length. The colt's 
f jOt he must have. All is nearly in harmonj^ of ac- 
tion ; structure is nearly right. We will shorten the 
lever a little shorter than natural ; his feet are o-row- 
ing all the time. It will wear the toe of shoes off 
some if we do not put on corks, which we will not do. 
In this wa}^ we can fix him so he can go six weeks 
very well, with good care taken of his feet. Then he 
will want to be changed back ag;iin. 

Reader, how would y'^w like to follow this business 
for fort3^-one 3^ ears ? I will tell you about tiie pay 
before I get through this sail. Pci'haps you will like 
it better. That is what all seem to be after. I have 
an ii'on-gray in my barn. I always, or nearly alwavs, 
held from one to four, seldom more than four, at one 
time. This gray is five years old. It was stiff v hen 
I took it to cure. It is not mine. I have forgotten 
the owner's name. It- is no loss to me, hovv-ever. I 
took his horse to cure. The bargain was this way ; 1 



118 THE horse's rescue. 

was to cure Lis horse for ten dollars. He was to pay 
me for the feed while I had the horse in mv cai'e, or 
furnish the feed, and he chose to funiish the feed. He 
owned three farms. He told me if he continued to 
liave as good luck as he had had he would soon own 
more. He came with the feed. It was a small jag of 
wet wheat straw taken out of a stack half rotten — not 
fit to bed a horse foi- me. I said nothing. This horse 
was thin in flesh. I fed her well with good feed of 
my own. She was so badly thrown oft* her base that 
she could hardly move or turn around on her forward 
feet. She was quite natural on her hind feet. I told 
him it was something of a task to get her back on her 
base ; it would take me about two weeks before he 
could take her home. This is in the winter. I shod 
horses in my shop days, and had these cripples in the 
shop, soaking and preparing them for spreading their 
feet, Wiglits I was in the barn or exercising these 
horses. While changing them it affects them. It 
would set them howling worse to see these horses 
while going through this change. It would put me in 
danger of being mobbed ; if the}^ did not do that it 
would bother me some about my work. T could do 
better when they were all asleep. I had all I could 
handle without being bothered. Night after night you. 
see a man in a barn with an overcoat on — cold winter 
liights — heating water in the house, washing and iMib- 
bing these horses' legs; sometimes in the street run- 
ning with them ; sometimes driving ; sometimes riding 
them. When you commerce to change them there is 
no stopping. Then you must go through. I luid no 
help; I had to do it all. I stood alone, nearly all on 



THE horse's KESCUE. 119 

ni\^ track. During this horse fight a Cornell student 
ari'ived in town, a graduate under Prof. Law. He put 
up at Bennett's hotel. He had a large stock of knives 
and instruments. They were polished nicely. What 
use he made of them I know not. I have no use for 
sucli. He had a lot of bones of horses' legs that had 
been spavined and ringboned. He told me they were 
all curable but one ; the pastern joint where the ring- 
bone is located had grown solid together. That, he 
said, was incurable. I told him cases where the bone 
was so badly affected as they were it was out of the 
power for any man to cure, for this reason : he could 
not remove the cause. The bone is full of holes; tlie 
enamel is all off ; the bone is ragged and rough. You 
cannot make it natural and smooth again. Of course 
that set liini to howling. He was an effect doctor. I 
a ked him if he ever saw a horse's foot expand or 
spread at the heels at once' three-quarters of an iiuh. 
No; it could not be done. They say it would spo 1 
the horse. You would be arrested for cruelty to ani- 
mals. '*Look here, professor, are you personally ac- 
quainted with that personage, 'Tliey Say?' I have 
heard so much about him I would like te see him and 
have an introduction. He seems to be very wise, 
Nearly all appeal to him and quote him. If I could 
get acquainted with him I might get him to help me 
cure horses. I am spreading horses' feet and curing 
them every day, and nights too, and no one is smart 
enough to tell how it is done. I can't see (\ny danger 
from They Say. This new-born babe on the horse had 
just started out after graduating at Cornell Univers- 
ity. He will learn, like all others, hy experience. It 



120 THE horse's rescue. 

takes time and practical work, like all other great 
things. 

Reader, let us go on with our work. This iron-gray 
had been shod before she had grown up to her natural 
size. Her feet were not their full size, when first 
ironed, and were held by the shoe from growing nat- 
ural ; the sole raised. It served her as it does all 
others; threw her back off her base, and held her 
there, and she partly grew up in this condition. It is 
a hard job to get such cases back on their base. In 
about ten days I did accomplish this hard task. She 
had good knee action. During these ten days I had 
some cold rides in the night when all were asleep. Her 
shoulders did not come back as easy as some. They 
must be worked back by drawing loads after you re- 
move the cause, and you must keep it removed ; that 
is, keep the structure of the foot natural, and watch 
that lever at the toe. Thi's mare's head is up; she 
moves very fine ; not man}^ move better. I will drive 
through the town and see wliat the eiTect will be tak- 
ing this sail. Tliey all seem to look at me. I do not 
see one looking at this mare. The fact is they do not 
know her. The horse led through the town ten days 
ago was foundered ; that is incurable. It is the same 
color. No argument could be produced or used to 
convince them it was the same horse. The good caie 
and good feed with it had changed her wonderful]^^ 
1 drove past my old friend the blacksmith and shoei-. 
The better success I had the more his wrath increased. 
There were several men with him standing in his shop 
door. He commenced as I was passing to rail at me 
50 I could hear it. I drove on. The tlioueht came 



THE horse's rescue. 121 

to me, "This is rather hard after ten nights with but 
little sleep, and days the same." I had others 1 was 
working on in different stages of change toward nat- 
ural to care for, and they were not all in my barn. It 
was the last straw that broke the camel's back. This 
inan had dogged me nearly one year, and had no cause 
for doing so. I had had as much patience as any man 
in that town, but it was exhausted. At last I must 
shake that man off. I have carried him long enough. 
He is no good to me in this work, and a damage to 
himselL It will be better for us both. So I turned 
and drQve back and pulled up in front of his shop. 
The parties were all there. 

Reader, I assure you this was what I did not like to 
do. I had tiied to be friendly with Mr. Brees, and was 
then, but he did not seem to look at it in that liirht.. 
I did not want to shoe horses. I wanted to cure stiff 
and crippled ones if I could get enough to live out of 
it. I could not cure all of these horses shoeing; that 
was what made tlie most of them stiff, with the bad 
treatment they are are obliged to endure. I asked 
Mr. Brees if he had plenty of business. 

"Yes; what of it?" 

" I think it would be better for you to attend to it 
then. Mine is no part of j^ours. If you meddle an}?- 
more with my business I will tell the people you are 
slaughtering more horses than any man in the Che- 
mung valley. They will believe me as quick as they 
will you. I want 3^ou to shoe. The more you shoe 
the better my business will be. You slaughter and I 
will cure and keep still. We will build up a big trade. 



122 THE horse's rescue. 

Try that. Do not set any more troublesome fellows 
on me.'' That stopped that i-acket. 

But let us dispose of this iroii-gra}-. I kept this 
gray two weeks. The owner took her home. She 
had her spreaders on, I told him lie must put her in 
the team and work her ; it would help her shoulders 
by drawing to come back to their place. She was 
nearly all right. I saw him drawing coal with her. 
She was traveling line, and on her base ; good action. 
I charged him to not take her shoes off. I would do 
that when it was time. I told him to drive around so 
I could see her when he came to town. He lived 
about three miles away. He did not pay me for keep- 
ing, shoeing, or curing when he took her away, but I 
was safe enougli. He owned three farms. I was very 
busy. I thought he would come around. I had no 
time to run after him. He was to come to me. Time 
])assed, and I did not see or hear from him. He was 
almost a stranger to me when I took his horse to cure. 
In about six months this man drove up to my shop 
with this same mare, the stiff est I ever saw. If one 
can be much stiffer tlian another, she had the extra 
touch. She was thrown back further off her base than 
she was when I first commenced on her. I was sur- 
prised to see liim and her too. I asked him what he 
had been doing. He told me Dave Townsend told 
liim to pull those spreading shoes off. They were 
pulled off in his shop soon after she went out of my 
control. This was tlie reason I did not see him 
around. Mr. Townsend ran a shctp in Horseheads. 
He tried hard to make the people believe I was craz\\ 
I was very much in his way. He worked a very small 



THE horse's rescue. 123 

field on the horse. He might run a peanut stand. He 
did for a short time. The poor horses would not have 
suffered quite as much if he had kept at that business. 
He caused this poor horse suffering that I cannot de- 
scribe, and this man came back to me to have me get 
her out of it again. He said he would try me once 
more. . If I did not do it this time he would give me 
up. *• 

" How did she act after you pulled her shoes off?" 

"I thought she would die. I had to stand her in 
cow manure all of the time." 

" It would have been better for her if she had died, 
then she would not suffer. She is not much use to 
any one as she is. Dave Townsend can get her out all 
straight. He does it with angle-worm oil." 

I did not touch her, neither did I get anything for 
what I had done. This man I will have to let go free. 
I think it is wrong to abuse a perfect fool. 

Reader, we have another case to dispose of. Here 
stands Mike at the same post where he stood nine 
weeks previous. Let us look him over. No man 
could tell by looking at him if he had not known him 
and seen this change take place by degrees. He has 
been almost daily on the road and improved all the 
time. His feed, when I commenced, was eighteen 
quarts of oats per day. It was reduced to twelve in a 
short time, for this reason : Mr. Bennett had a partner 
in his business. He started to go to Elmira, his wife 
with him. He went part way and came back, drove 
up to the barn, ordered the feed taken off of Mike, 
ordered another horse. He told them in the hotel, "I 
was not afraid of him ; my wife was." 



1-4 THE horse's rescue. 

I was always peekinj^ around. In the evening I 
walked into the hotel. There were several around the 
bar. Mr. Bennett had a number of new bits. TLey 
were counselino- about the best bits to hold Mike to 
kee}) him from running awa^^ I told them Mike was 
coming to life ; he wasn't running away. I would 
drive him on a slack rein, and there would be no dan- 
ger in doing so. There w^as no reply. I walked away 
and let them fight. They will be scared worse when 
I get iliis horse balanced in the center. At that time 
I had not fixed his hind feet. Let us look at Mike 
after he is balanced standing at this post. I shall 
never forget that horse. While looking him over in 
all points I pronounced him the best horse I ever saw 
at that time. I have no^. seen his mate since. There 
is a great change in him. I stood up by the side of 
him. I am five feet seven inches tali. I put up my 
hand, and could just reach to the top of his ears. He 
stood natural and easy ; his hair was sleek and glossy, 
and as handsome dapple-brown as I ever saw. "Mike, 
you are as near as the creator made you as I can make 
you ; and yet with all the hard work I have done on 
you nights and days, ^^our owner is as ignorant as ever 
he was. He does not seem to realize this wonderful 
change in you. He cannot see you gnawing 370ur feet, 
suffering night and day; shrunken and shriveled up; 
all air-puffs ; stiff and sore; hair dead, and you nearly 
so, but he tells the people there was nothing the mat- 
ter with vou, onlv ix little I'oadsore. I wanted to cure 
you for an advertisement, Mike. I am well paid now 
if you would only stay so; but I well know 3^ou will 
not; that lever will grow, contraction will take place, 



THE horse's rescue. 125 

and you have the ignorance of jour owner and many 
others to contend with. I will care for you ail I can 
when I can get a chance. No medicine has been used 
on you internally ; no butchering. The cause of all 
3'our trouble has h^.cu i-emoved by expanding your 
feet and dressing them, nnd making them ns 3'our cre- 
ator had made them before llje\^ were slaughtered by 
ironing them. Hiram McConnell, the veterinarian of 
this town, tells me that that butcher I drove out of 
this town cured j'ou. I suppose he had i-eference to 
those shoes he ordered Mr. Brees to put on, that 
caused you to gnaw^ your feet. iSTow I would like to 
know, in the name of reason and common sense, how 
McConnell came in possession of so much wisdom 
about this complicated matter." He was an agent for 
the railroad company, and was obliged to be at the de- 
pot all or nearly all of his tim-j. He kept his medi- 
cine to cure horses there. I cured without it. He did 
not cure these stiff horses with all of his trash. 

The fact is, some wanted to drive me out. I had good 
friends before I left that town. Their craft was in 
danger. I think I will drop in there soon again, and 
try them another battle on the horse; I have not quit 
yet. I must clear away some of this rubbish before I 
can go on with my work. 

Mr. Bennett and I had a few words about shoeing a 
horse; I shod his horses. He had traded and got one. 
It was a strange horse to me. I shod it, and it inter- 
fered afterward. He wanted me to trv him asrain. I 
did, and charged him for setting them over. He found 
fault. I told him I was tired working for him for no 



♦? 



126 THE horse's rescue. 

pay and no credit. If he had given me credit for 
curing Mike I would not have said a word. 
- "I paid 3^ou for shoeing." 

"Yes." 

"Then you have no honor." 

So much for that hard job. Let us go on with 
this horse fight. It is paying business. 

There was anotlier racket around Bennett's hotel. 
Mike ran away. Mr. Bennett was in the pump busi- 
ness. A party of three went out in the country to set 
a pump. Some pumps made up the load. Mike was 
the propelling power. Jack Backer was the agent and 
boss. lie was a reporter for the papers in this town, 
and was a clever fellow. He was quite a bugler — a 
good match for me on that. I was sorry to see Jack 
hurt, for he did get hurt; his face was badly bruised, 
and shoulder injured. There was no use of my telh 
int'- them anything before or after the shipwreck. I 
was in the last stages of lunacy. They knew it all, 
and I let them have their own way, and kept on a 
straight line. Mike spread them all out along the 
road, pumps and tools, and made a bad shipwreck. 

While all this raf'ket is going on I must go and see 
Mike. I am quite a hand to talk with horses. I en- 
joy talking with horses better than I do with some 
men. 

"MIInC, how did you come to shipwreck those fel- 
lows so?" 

" I did not have room enough for my hind legs to 
have full swing." 

" I see the skin and hair are all off your cords, above 
your hocks ; that must have hurt you ?" 



THE horse's rescue. 127 

"It did; tte cross-bar of the fills was chawing my 
legs at every step. You see, since 3^011 made me as 
my creator made me, I need at least eighteen inches 
more room to clear my hind legs. I can make long 
strides now, and I like to do it; it scares them some, 
but if they will give me room I will scare them worse, 
if my feet are kept as they are now." 

The fact is just as it is stated above, and that was 
the cause of the wreck. As this work is called " The 
Horse's Rescue, and Cause and Effect Book,*' this 
comes in all right. Such ignorance adds to the suffer- 
ing of the horse. 

Tiie old, nearly worn out spreading shoes that I 
pulled ofif of Mike were ordered to be carried to the 
hotel, where they were looked at and commented on. 
"These are the shoes," the}^ say, "that cured Mike." 
These shoes had no curing properties in them ; it was 
the principles I worked on — removing the cause ; nti- 
ture did the curing. 

Mike was a natural trotter, and if he had been iu 
gooJ hands would have been hard to beat. He was 
ambitious, and had great powers of endurance; for 
strength and muscle I never saw his equal. There is 
no use setting any price on him. The price of horses 
is governed and regulated in many ways — sometimes 
by fear, by fancy, by the size of a man's pile, and how 
he obtained it, and the owner's circumstances and sur- 
roundings. This horse Mike was soon missing from 
his stall. I missed him, for I had visited Mike's stall 
daily for nearly three months, though I did not always 
find him there. Where he went I know not. I never 
saw him after the wreck but once, that I can remem- 



128 THE horse's rescue. 

ber. Fear was the cause of Mike's changing hands. 
He might get stiff and ]ame again; he might ship- 
wreck some one again. And ignorance was the cause 
of all. 

There is not much use trying to teach a man when 
he thinks he has all of the knowledge. Such a man's 
atttention can be attracted with children's toys quite 
easy. I have seen children wearing men's clothes. It 
is no indication of wisdom. A man's grandfather may 
give him three thousand dollars, but that does not add 
to his knowledge. It does have an effect sometimes 
in this way ; it will cause a man of small intellect ta 
wear a pair of boots three inches longer than his feet, 
soles about one inch thick, causing him to toe out and 
interfere, knocking his heels at every step ; his head 
thrown back of a perpendicular line, with a segar in 
his mouth lacking only a few degrees of sticking 
straight up; hands in both pockets nearly to elbow. 
He can bend a little every five minutes to look at a 
fob chain, but he could not bend enough to see the 
lever on the toe of a horse's foot It might sti-ain him 
across the loin, being throwm back off his base in a 
small degree, on the same principle that his horses 
are. 

I do not want you to think a man's foot is any com- 
parison to a horse's foot. I speak of this to show the 
difference. Ignorant people are always making these 
comparisons. Mankind nearly always take theirboots 
or shoes off nights, and sometimes days if "they hurt 
their feet. I have worn mine a good many nights, and 
clothes too, while working on these suffering horses' 
feet. The horse is obliged to wear his shoes day and 



THE horse's rescue. 129 

night if they do hurt. For muny reasons the owner 
does not want to pay for moving the shoes, and he 
does not feel the pain the poor horse endures. I wish 
they all could for twenty-four hours ; that would be 
long enough ; you would hear the loudest bawling you 
ever heard. Man's feet do notgr^w in length ; his toe- 
nails grow; if he does not cut them off he will be 
likely to have his attention called to the end of his 
toes if he wears boots ; and this is not all; his foot 
has joints,. and his foot has no shell ; it turns up at the 
toes when he walks, if the soles are not too thick and 
are made of leather, if they are three inches longer 
than the foot; but it is rather torturesome to break 
such boots in in any weather. When they do not get 
soaked with water it hurts at the top of the instep- — 
where the ringbone is located on the horse. They will 
slip up and down at the heel, which wears the skin off 
the heels, but that vvillgrow on again if you can stand 
the torture a few hours each day. It will be neces- 
sary for you to have rest from this suffering quite 
often. If you can stand it until these boots assume 
the shape of sleigh-runnsip, it will be more easy to 
raise over that lever. I notice they do not all accom- 
plish this difficult task, and they toe out, which runs 
over their boots. Then they interfere and are con- 
stantly wiping the mud off of their boots on their 
trousers at the ankles at every step. But this is no 
comparison to the horses' feet. Take all into consid- 
eration. The shell of the horse's foot does not bend 
as the lever lengthens, if it is not ironed, without pro- 
ducing injury in some way. If it is allowed to get too 
long it may cause it to sink down in front, or it may 



130 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

turn up a little. If it does it must split at the toe or 
break nown. I have seen colts' feet split from point of 
toe to top of wall on both forward feet from this cause 
that never had a shoe on, and have drawn them to- 
gether with nails. That is the best way I ever tried. 
It stops the cracks from springing apart at the top. If 
you can do that on any plan the new hoof will grow 
out sound. If you cannot do that, it will crack as fast 
as it grows. There is no bending that lever on the 
horse's foot, no matter how long it is made by ironing, 
or allowed to grow, without producing injury in many 
ways. It has joints and bones, but they are clothed 
with a shell, and when out of harmony of action the 
result is fearful. 

The horse's foot cannot be compared to man's, and 
yet this is not all. He has four feet and legs to be bal- 
anced on, which I have already remarked. 

Men ask sometimes if horses take cold from pulling 
oGf their shoes ! There is as much reason in asking^ 
this question as there would be in asking if there was 
danger of horses taking cold sleeping in tlie barn-yard 
with the gate open. It all goes to show the ignorance 
of men concerning the horse. Their feet do get cold, 
and the horses get cold all over and shiver and suffer ; 
they are as sensitive to pain as mankind; and irons 
nailed on their feet, with a row of nails driven inside 
of the shell half way to the hair, does make their feet 
cold in frosty weather. The frost will follow the nails, 
which are very close to the membrane. Nearlj^ all 
shoers fit the shoe so narrow tlie nails start inside of 
the shell. The feet being bound up, and the struct- 
ure all changed from natural, causes heat. That will 



THE HOKSE'S rescue. 131 

warm the foot some, but does not relieve the suffer- 
ing. 

Here came Mr. Bennett again with another stiff and 
lame horse — a light-limbed young horse. 

"Doan, what is the matter with this horse?" 

"I should think.you might see." 

''He wants his feet soaked, don't he? How far 
have you driven him ?" 

"About eight miles. It is all 'sposh.' I should 
think if that was all he needed he would be cured 
now." 

" His feet must be well soaked. The best way to 
soak horses' feet is to drive them in mud and V\rater. 
Your horse's feet are badly contracted, and that is not 
all." 

I walked away. This horse was badly contracted, 
and he had two sets of feet on him, a very long lever, 
and a heavy, bungling set of shoes, entirely too large 
in every way, if his feet had been properly dressed. I 
did not touch that horse. It looked to me as though 
Mr. Bennett had gone to buying stiff horses for me to 
cure for nothing. That would have been all right if 
I had chosen to do so. It is good business to have 
others work for you for no pay, and grow poor all of 
the time yourself. Some get very wealthy that way, 
and sometimes you can hear them brag about their 
wealth. Some folks may think it is the part of a man. 
It may be in some cases ; in this case it was a total 
failure. I will have to let this case go in with some 
other rubbish I have just cleared away, and pass on. 

It is uphill business here all alone ; no backing out. 
When I first came in this town I was verj^ cautious. 



182 THE hoese's rescue. 

My experience had taught me it was rather dangerous 
to tell a man his horse was stiff. It would hurt the 
sale of him, and yet they were nearly all of them stiff 
that had been shod — lame in a greater or less degree, 
and they were in a worse condition in the Chemung 
valley than in any place that lever had been in at that 
time; and I heard as much horse talk as in any place. 
They all claimed much knowledge of that noble ani- 
mal. My ! is it not queer? It is so all over. I have 
taken the pains to demonstrate that. 

Soon after I came in this town I was* looking over 
the stables. There I can be found as quick as in any 
place. You can see me in a horse doctor's stable, or 
veterinarian, as they are sometimes called. His name 
was Hiram McConnell. It was Sunda}-. Hiram had 
a little time that d&j He was caring for a horse 
while his feet were soaking. He seemed like a clever 
fellow. I talked with him some about his horse, which 
was a trotter. He was called Billy Crawford. This 
horse. I heard, cost Hiram eight hundred dollars. That 
may be the truth, or it may not; folks can lie. That 
matters not, for it will not cure these horses. I could 
see Hiram had some unrest about his horse. I ven- 
tured a few remarks. I told him he could not cure 
him soaking his feet; he was not working on the right 
plan. 

Hiram, being rather a quiet fellow, took it all quietly 
and kept on at his work. I looked over his stables 
(he had the best in town) and walked away. This 
horse had contracted feet. He had shoes on. His 
feet needed cutting down at least one-third. It would 
have helped very much. At the time I first looked at 



THE ' HORSE S RESCUE. 183 

Billy he could have been cured very easily. I tried to 
get this horse. Some weeks after I had a little talk 
with Hiram. He said he would give one hundred dol- 
lars to have him cared. 1 told him I would cure him 
for that. I thought at that time I would be able to 
get him soon. I was very anxious. He was going on 
from bad to worse, which I well knew. I visited him 
often; it worried me very much. I did all that was in 
'my power to get this horse to cure. I finally gave 
it up. I watched Billy the same as I had others I 
was at work on — one belonging to a lady. She was 
an agent lor sewing machines, and traveled on the 
road. A Mr. Wright took care of her horse, whi^h 
was a six-year-old roan pony. He had got to 
be such a cripple on his forward feet he could hardly 
hobble. With all the wisdom Horseheads contained, 
they could not tell what ailed the horse, neither cculd 
they get him out of his trouble; but they could call 
me a brasr and a damned old fool. It does not take a 
very smart man to do that, and I got lots of that kind 
of music. They could do that easier than they could 
cure horses. All that ailed this horse was that his feet 
were all cut off ; that is, the shell was nearly all cut 
off. His feet were not of the natural size. He was 
on his base. His feet were not contracted. He was 
ironed down solid, and was very sore, caused by this 
botch-work. I soon got him out of his trouble by 
giving his feet room and packing them. In a short 
time he had his natural feet, and sailed all i-ight. I 
told Mr. Wright he must keep his feet soft. I did not 
mean soak liis feet all of the time when he was in the 
stable. All at once this horse became dead lame 



134 THE horse's rescue. 

about three miles awaj, and could hardly be got 
home. Wright brought him to the shop to find out 
tlie cause. 

"Mr. Wright, what have jou been doing? You 
have soaked this horse's feet too much." 

"It was some trouble to soak this horse's feet. I 
liave got a ground floor in mj barn I dug a hole in 
tiie ground and filled it with water, and tied him so 
lie would be oblio-ed to stand in it." 

o 

This horse had flat feet. After his feet got to be 
their natural size the fever was gone, and they needed 
but very little soaking. He had corks on his shoes, 
and the fi'os" did not touch the irround. The weis'ht 

Q CO 

is in the center of the foot. Driving on dry roads his 
weight drove the sole down ; or, in other words, he 
went down through tlie cup or top of the wall. His foot 
was rounding on the bottom, which affected the coffin 
joint badly and threw all out of harmony of action. 
If it had been muddy it would not have been as 
likelv to fro down. The froo: would have h-ad a rest. 
This often happens on all flat feet where the frog has 
no rest. It is easy enough to get it back, dishing the 
shoe, as ignorant people do, to get it oil the sole, 
that only makes bad worse. Most people, in cases like 
this, will run fron^ one shop to another until their 
horse is nearly ruined. To pull ofif the shoes is all that 
is necessary. Tlie weight of the horse on the frog 
will push it back to its place. I told Mr. Wr'ght not 
to soak the horse's feet. "Put him tonight on the 
floor. In the morning he will be all right. He will 
lie down; his feet will dry; his weight will be off 
them, and as they dry the sole will rise up." 



THE horse's rescue. 185 

In the morning Mr Wriglit said the horse was as 
well as ever it was. Five years afterward I saw this 
same horse and the lady that owned it driving it forty 
miles from Horseheads, where I was at work. I talked 
with her about her horse. She said he had been all 
I'ight ever since I got him out of his trouble, and yet 
if I tell any one what I can do, and do it, they do not 
all see me do it, and there is always plenty to fight 
and bleat, calling you a brag. It is almost as dan- 
gerous to find out anything new as it was two thou- 
sand years ago. 

We will go on with this horse fight in this town. 
They begin to worry some about my spending my 
money, and yet not a man has paid me a cent for cur- 
ing his horses. I shall have to stop spending my 
money soon, curing their horses for nothing, or some 
of them will hang themselves. Then I shall be blamed 
for that. They do v/orry so there is dangei*. We will 
try it a little longer, and run the risk. 

Here comes Jack Bennett with the American Star 
stallion. Jack is a wide-awake follow ; got lots of 
casli and horses. He likes horses, and lias lots of time 
to play with them. His star hoi'se is a natural t)-otter, 
and is the nearest natural of any horse I have seen in 
or around this town yet, or was before he was slaugli= 
tered in his feet. Jack sent his horse to school at 
Corning to teach liim to trot. He went to Corning to 
to see how Star was learning. He soon saw thatsome- 
thinsj was wroncr. He could not trot as well as he 
could when he left home ; and that was not all. There 
was danger of his being spoilt. Star had white legs 
nearly to his gambrels; the blood was running down 



136 THE horse's rescue. 

on the inside of his legs, and there was danger of 
cutting his legs off. Jack brought liis horse home. 

•' I can beat those fellows myself," said he. " Tiiis 
is the last time I send Star to school. Doan, what is 
the matter with this horse? He never cut liis legs ])e- 
fore in his life. There must be some cause. lie is 
not right in some way. I can tell when my horse is 
right by driving him five I'ods. I want you to fix 
him." 

''AH right." 

When Jack was around talking horse I had to stop. 
I could not get a word in. He could talk louder and 
faster than I about what was the cause of this horse's 
trouble. They had shod him in tliis way on his for- 
ward feet with flat shoes. The shape was well enough. 
The shoes were concave, but there was too much fljit 
rest on the shoes. The surface for the shell to rest 
on was five- eighths of an inch. The shell is three- 
eighths in this case. The way the foot was dressed ; 
one-quarter inch rest was off the shell and on the sensi- 
tive part of his foot. It made his feet sore. They 
were ironed down solid and dead ; not a particle of 
give. The concussion soon caused soreness. Let us 
fix his hind feet. The cause of his legs being cut 
was they had been shod so they both toed in; the 
weight was unequal on his heels. They had run over a 
little — enough to cause him to hit liis legs on the out- 
side heels of his forward shoes. lie did not spread 
his hind legs enough to pass clear. He was out of 
harmony of action all around, and that was the cau^e 
of all. After I had shod him, Jack said : ■ 



THE horse's rescue. 13 < 

" I will try him. I can tell in driving him ten rods 
if he sails all right." 

Jack came back. 

''Doan. he is all right." ^ 

This great science of working on the horse is called 
bragging by men that have no knowledge of the 

liorse 

To-day while stopping to rest a little I was called a 
bra<r "They will not place much confidence m 
rour book, you are such a brag." He quoted that old 
fool '• They," as all ignorant people do. A man might 
think, to hear such men talk, that ihey or they say was 
the hi-'hest authority thatcould be appealed to-equal 
to the creator. The man that perfected this woiic 
never paid any attention to what They Say says ; i£ he 
had it would never have been perfected. I would 
like to have some of these wonderfully smart teachers 
tell me how to introduce any new discovery without 
writing or talking about it. You cannot put any ma- 
chine in practical operation without talk to introduce 
if and of all the machines I ever saw, the horse is the 
<rreate=t When he is as the creator made him, he is 
the most complicated. Men have tried to improve this 
machine, and have spoilt nearly all they have worked 
on sooner or later, by ironing their feet. No proof is 
needed ; neither will it admit of denial, for it stands 
i„ bold relief all over the land, go where you will. 

Let us go to the fair at Elmira and see the show of 
horses while there. It will be best to keep quiet. 
Some big guns on the horse will be there, and we can 
learn more to get in some quiet place and look on. It 
will be no use to talk horse here; you will set them 



138 THE horse's rescue. 

on you, and that will bother you in your lesson. The 
onl}'- way for the inexperienced to learn these great 
truths is to watch these horses when they are in mo- 
tion. They cannot tell by seeing them standing. Tlie 
natural horse will stand sometimes, if he is all right, 
with his legs sprawled in many ways, and 3'et be all 
right, or nearly so; and he can be made b\^ dressing 
his feet and shoeing, to all appeai-ance, while standing, 
to look and seem natui-al to some. When put in m.o- 
tion, he will show his deformed and suffering condition 
in many ways. This panorama of horses that is pass- 
ing is hard to describe. The}^ have all been brought 
here to be looked at, and to look at them is what I 
have come for. The more the horse is deformed and 
changed from natural, the worse he is used. If he is 
stiff and sore, he must be driven around the track and 
scored, to warm him up preparatory to ti'otting. He 
must be jerked, whipped, and sawed, swung nearly off 
his feet, being all out of harmony of action, which 
causes him to cut his heels, and pound his own legs to 
pieces. These horses are nearly all thrown back off 
their base, or tied up in some way or degree on their 
feet. They do the best they can. See how that lever 
they are obliged to rise over throws them up. They go 
into the air, tangled all up; break, trot forward, run 
or trot behind, some on one foot, some on both ; some 
lame on all four feet; and yet it is not seen by these 
great horsemen, ^'^diich I shall show if they are honest 
by the premiums when they are declared off. Some 
horses burst their feet in many places at top of wall, 
caused by contracted feet. Then they pull off and 
quit. Such horses cannot trot fast. They foot short 



THE HORSE^S RESCUE. 139 

and rapidly. They are all tied up on their feet and 
out of harmony. Their feet pain them night and day ; 
they cannot rest day or night. The driver does not 
feel the pain these poor horses are obliged to endure, 
but that does not prove this suffering does not exist, 
neither does it remove the cause, which cause is igno- 
rance. They are all trying to make fast horses, and 
this process ruins nearly all and makes them slowei*. 
The next object is money, and ten lose that while one 
makes ; the country is no better off for all this whole- 
sale slaughter^ of these horses. 

If the people understood the horse, and would 
take good care of him and keep him natural, or 
nearly so, it would be a pleasure to ride after him. 
The horse likes to sail when he is all in harmony of 
action. I like to drive a good, sound horse ; and if 
you will take good care of him, he will sail you as far 
in a day as you want to ride. In this race after money 
the horse is the greatest loser of all. He loses his 
sleep, caused by pain ; he loses the use of his feet and 
legs; his life is shortened, and he finally loses that be- 
fore he is in his prime. 

I cannot go on and describe all of these cripples. 
I have written enough to show you where to study the 
horse. Every foot on one horse may vary in degrees 
of change, and it throws him out of balance on each 
foot and leg according to the degree of change. 

Billy Crawford is here, and is showing himself; he 
was quite a trotter once. He is young yet, but is 
lame on one forward foot, that is, he is limping. He 
seems stiff all over. He ambles and straddles. The 
lever is too long. He cannot get there ; he is a long 



140 THE horse's rescue. 

"way behind. It is the best he can do If he was 
untied he would show them some good stepping. It 
is no use trying as I am now. These are facts, and 
can be seen at any fair in the United States. 

There is a cause for this condition of the horse, and 
it cannot be removed by bawling at me. You w'ill 
not learn these great truths that way, nor will you any 
other great science. The horse is a machine, and so is 
man. The horse is a horizontal machine, and more 
complicated than man; for this reason: he has four 
legs and four feet to balance his weight on, and he 
must be balanced in the center at the same time, and 
the structure of all four feet must all be in harmony 
of action when he is put in motion, or you will see a 
bad movement, and the motion will cause heat and 
soreness. 

You let him stand still. When in this condition he 
suffers greatly. The soreness will disappear some 
when he is still. As soon as you put him in motion 
it increases. The more you run him the more he is 
obliged to suffer, while in this condition. And that is 
not all ; he is divided against himself in many ways, 
and on no two feet alike. There are hardly two 
horses to be found that are out of* harmony alike, and 
and in the same degree of change. 

A man (that is, he thinks he is a man ; he is large 
enough in bulk), knowing I was writing this book, 
told me he would give a dollar to read it. 

'' But I don't care anything about your book,'' said 
he. 

If it was a child five years old talking like that, we 
ought to, and would, make some allowance, but when 



THE horse's rescue. 141 

men thirty or forty years old talk like that, there is 
not much hope of their improvement. As though a 
man could read any book without first caring for it. 
That is what causes all improvements and progres- 
sion. 

This man told me, a few days previous to this con- 
versation, that he had set seventy horse shoes in a day 
in winter, and the first horse did not get in the shop 
until ten o'clock, and it was dark at about four 
o'clock. If he went without his dinner it would give 
him six hours to do this work. I have no doubt that 
he did the work ; it is too often done. Notwithstand- 
ing all this boasting, owners of horses, when you hear 
a man telling about setting seventy shoes in six hours, 
if you get in his shop you will be likely to take your 
horse home with two sets of feet on him, and in a 
worse condition, or soon to be, than if he had not 
touched him. 

I must brag a little. I can outbrag them all; that 
is what ails them. If they could beat me bragging 
they would be all on an equal footing; but they can't 
— I never met a man that could. But no man ever 
heard me brag about the number of shoes I set in 
one da}^, for I knew that the people were not all fools, 
and that they could and do see something. 

There is no use talking; it will only end in confu- 
sion. I have no recollection of setting over forty shoes 
in a day, and that was spun out to twelve hours: but 
it was fairly done — nothing extra. The pay was 
small, and I was obliged to do more than I ought, in 
order to keep the business up. I have spent one 
whole day — and faithfully to — shoeing one horse that 



142 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

was going to make a trot, to please the owner, and 
charged no extra pay; but I followed the horse to 
watch his movement and action; and many are the 
horses I have shod in forty-one years, and followed in 
this way. 

This show of horses is not all over here yet at this 
fair. I am here following Jack Bennett's star stallion. 
He will not show himself until these amblers and 
shufflers and single-footers get through. Here comes 
one down the track. My golly ! How he does amble 
and single-foot. 

This is Hiram McConnell's champion stallion. He 
is not old. He was once called a trotter. He belongs 
to a horse doctor, and his home is in the same stable 
with Billy Crawford. He is a long distance behind in 
this great horse show. This horse I have looked over 
many times before he came to this horse show of 
speed. There is a cause for this slow, stiff, straddling, 
single-footing, ambling motion, and I well know what 
it is; but there is no use talking when you are all 
alone in the fight for the horse. Their time is more 
taken up in trying to make themselves and others 
believe I am crazv. This was red-hot in this town. 
The more big things I did on the horse, the crazier I 
got. My, my ! 

This stallion was changed from natural in many 
ways, and in many degrees of change, and every foot 
was changed different from the others, and differ- 
ent degrees of change ; and he was so sore he could 
hardly straddle around the track. Sometimes, when 
looking at the deplorable scene, I feel bad, and think 
there is no use. They brag and call these horses all 



THE hoese's rescue. 143 

sound, or nearly so; there is nothing the matter with 
tbem. 

Reader, I have gone off bj myself and rolled and 
laughed about these horse shows at many fairs, and 
you can do the same when you study the horse. Af- 
ter you read this work you can see it as quick as I 
do, if you will give your attention to it. If you do 
not you must suffer loss, and your horse will suffei-. 
No man on this earth, that has got any fine feelings, 
would allow his horse to suffer if he could help him 
out of it, and knew how to do it. You must learn as 
I did. It need not cost you forty-one long years of 
experimenting, and the hardest practical mental and 
physical labor that a man ever did, and a power of 
opposition. My God [ it makes tlie tears come in my 
eyes and my hoad ache, and back, shoulders, and hips 
too, to write about it. You need not go through all of 
this. Tears are no proof that a man is a baby. Be- 
fore I get through this work you can tell better. I 
have to laugh sometimes at these hoi*se shows. I can- 
not help it. I would not if it made the horse suffer, 
I do not laugh at the movement of the horses. It 
does me good to laugh. It is no use to tell you what 
I laugh about. I suppose these great horsemen have 
seen me off by myself laughing, and that is one reason" 
why they called me crazy. What did I care what they 
called me, as I well knew thev did not have anv knowl- 
edge of the deformed condition of these poor horses. 
They were nearly all that had been shod in this con- 
dition. In some degree you can see this any time 
where these poor horses are put in motion. 

Here comes Jack Bennett with a double team. This 



144 THE horse's rescue. 

is the first time I have seen Jack to-da3^ He has got 
his sorrel trotter and American Star stallion together. 
Star takes the outside track ; the mare is a good trot- 
ter , see them sail. The mare is running nearly her 
best, and Star trots. Not a break, no whipping, no 
jerking around ; they go several times. Jack swinging 
his hat over his head. Star is the most natural horse 
I have seen in the Chemung valley, and Jack knows 
how to keep him so. He does not drive him to death. 

Jack stopped at the stand and blew his bugle and 
laughed at them some and drove off. He does not 
trot his horses for money, and does not keep his horses' 
shoes on. This horse I shod for this surprise for 
Jack, a few days before this great horse show ; and as 
soon as the horse got home I went, or Jack came and 
got me, and off came Star's shoes. He stood on the 
ground floor. 

Jack was a great talker, and I tried to beat him talk- 
ing. When we got together you could hear some of 
the loudest horse talk you ever heard, because we 
tried to talk each other down ; and each had to raise 
his voice a little at every word, and it would get to a 
yell. Jack could beat me talking. Jack told me all 
the objection he had to me was, I talked too much ; 
and that was all of the fault with him, but I could 
beat him balancing horses. 

Let us look at this tirade of cripples going home 
from the fair. Tirade is a proper word to use, for some 
of these horses were tied upon their feet, and iii many 
waj^s caused by bad shoeing and ironing theii- feet, and 
some had two sets of hoofs in growth. Of all the 
sights a man ever saw this capped the climax. I have 



THE horse's rescue. 145 

told yo .1 of their movement on the track. I cannot 
describe this scene ; they are deformed in so many 
ways and degrees, straddling, stiff, poking along, 
nearly all got cards on their bridles. They took pre- 
miums according to their class and degrees of worth, 
and yet not one of these horses was entered as a crip- 
ple ; neither did the judges know they were cripples. 
If they did they were not honest. Reader, what 
chance do you think a man would have with such 
judges if he was to be tried for lunacy for talking 
horse? I had to look sharp and keep watch of my 
suri-oundings in this town. I have not yetgot done in 
Horseheads bawling horse and experimenting on the 
horse to know the cause of all of these horses' troubles, 
and they are many. I must buy and work on many 
to prove and test their ailments, each separately, in 
order to know if this principle of working on the feet 
would remove the cause of this trouble and suffering 
condition of these horses. This is no easy task, but 
it must be done in order to know. Opinions and be- 
liefs are not knowledge. These things must be proved 
by experimenting. It occurred to me after I had 
worked on these horses some time, that it ought not 
to cause any inflammation by changing these horses 
back to natural by this process — spreading the feet — 
if it was done right, and if I did not go beyond nat- 
ural, that is, spread too much. It is rather hard busi- 
ness to work on these horses almost night and day to 
prevent inflammation taking place after spreading. I 
must test this thing. I must have another horse. If 
it kills him it will be my loss, and no one will know 
what did kill him. 



146 THE piorse's rescue. 

This horse I prepared in the most skilful and care- 
ful manner, to test tliis opei-ation. I made the foot 
\evy soft by soaking in wai-m water — water is nil I 
ever use — tliat is naturnl ; that is needed, and is the 
best; it leaves the foot all I'ight. I want no trash on 
horses' feet for me. Just at night I spread these feet, 
that is, the two forward feet, and let the sole down 
fiat or nearly so, and exercised him some; put him in 
the barn, fed him, and thought I would sleep to-night. 
I did not go to the barn until morning. I lay on the 
lounge — not any sleep that niirht- It. was not the loss 
of the horse that kept me .'iwako. I nevi'i' stop for 
money w'hen I want to test anyihing. I went to the 
barn, the horse was eatinsj hav ; he had not m-t over tiie 
change yet. I well knew he wouUl not without more 
exercise. I felt of his feet; they were c(K)1 ; no heat 
unnatui'al in them. That's a \)\g- thintr to know; that 
will save me lots of work, and that is not all; it proves 
that in cl)an£ring the horse toward natural, if done lioht, 
no lieat and fever or inflammation is ])roduced by the 
operation; if he is put in motion when in harmony of 
action none is produced. After this operation the 
cause is removed, the unnatural heat is gone, and the 
foot does not diy up as long as it is kept so. This old 
shell on some of these horses of long stand in<Tf is hard 
and dried up, caused by great internal heat that closes 
the pores in the shell ; it seems dead, and thcj'e is not 
much life in it, and it does help to soak and keep this 
old shell soft. This old dry shell cannot l)e all cut <»fi 
at once, and if 3'ou do not keep the bottom spread it 
holds the new from growing natural. There have born 
gets of feet grown and cut off, of long-standing cases. 



THE horse's rescue. 147 

When this old dried shell is removed, and new growth 
of hoof takes place, tlie old shell kept spreading at 
the bottom so as to allow the new to grow natural, you 
will find, if jou try it, if you keep the structure of 
the foot in harmony of action, you have removed the 
cause of more suffering than 3'ou ever thought of 
There are some cases I have seen that are incurable ; 
some of long standing are quite easily cured ; some of 
short standing are hard to cure; all, or nearly all, are 
caused by ironing their feet, and ignorance is is the 
great cause of all this suffering the poor horse has to 
endure. 

Header, I do not want you to understand by this ex- 
periment that there is no use in washing these horses' 
legs with warm water and packing their feet whiie they 
are going through this change. I have alreadj'- writ- 
ten that this treatment holds good, and always will, 
and you must always take care of their feet. After 
the fever is gone they do not want much packing 
neither do they want much soaking. After they have 
got back on their base tliey want work in mud, snow, 
water; that's what they want. Standing in the barn 
will spoil the best horse ever was, and driving him 
when he is out of harmony of action will do the 
same. 

Here is another experiment. I prepared one of 
these contracted feet and let the sole down to its nat- 
ural place. It required five-eighths of an inch to do 
this on this foot. I at first measured all of the feet 
before I spread. I do not now, unless I want to know 
how much I have spread the foot, or to show others; 
the sole is the guide in raising and lowering if it is 



148 THE horse's rescue. 

prepared right for the operation. The colt's foot in 
shape is the object structure of the foot — all iu har- 
mony of action — when done on all feet of horses and 
mules this is the point to aim at. After spreading 
the foot, as I have above written, I waited six hours; 
the horse was not lame. I had spread both of his feet 
the same ; he was doing well : no heat in his feet un- 
natural. I closed or contracted his foot one-eighth of 
an inch by measure by pressing the shoe and foot to- 
gether to see if there would be any heat caused by 
this operation unnatural; and how long it would be 
before it would take place, and what degree of heat 
would take place by this sudden change toward the 
unnatural. The horse pointed his foot out instantly, 
and was lame. I was shut up alone iu my shop. I 
put my hand on his foot; I could feel the heat arise; 
the horse's suffering seemed to increase with the heat, 
and did. I left him in this condition about fifteen 
minutes ; I had learned all I wanted to on that change 
toward the unnatural. This was a sudden change the 
wrong wa}^ Unwilling to see the horse suffer any 
longer, I put it back tojts original place, one-eighth of 
an inch, put his foot in the tub of warm water a short 
time, then moved him around the shop ; in less than 
fifteen minutes the heat was all gone, the horse stood 
up straight with his weight on the center of his foot. 
The man that allowed Dave Townsend to fool him b}^ 
letting him pull the spreading shoes off from that iron- 
gray got in this hot business ; if they had been long 
enough on to get settled and grov; more they could 
have been taken off and no trouble would have arisen 
from so doing. He drove her home over the hubs, 



!->'*""'" THE horse's RESCUE. 149 

about four miles. It was winter, and that helped to 
set this heat a-going, and it increased according to the 
degrees of contraction, and she w*^nt off her base ac- 
cording to the degrees of change from natural ; and 
she went fast, too, and he lost money fast, and she 
continued to suffer, all caused by Dave Townsend and 
the owner of the horse's ignorance. This principle of 
heating horses' feet holds good ; expanding too much 
will cause heat according to the degree of change 
from natural. So much for Dave Townsend's skill on 
the horse. 

Here is another experiment in this town. George 
Wood rough is a horse trainer by profession. George 
was my true friend, and so was his father. Dr. Wood- 
rou2:h. George's stable was close to mine. I let him 
in my stable after I had been working on these horses, 
and he knew what I did on their feet. He had a very 
fine mare, valued at five hundred dollars; he told me 
she hopped behind; she was not trotting well; she 
would go level at a moderate gait, but when he 
wanted her to sail she would tangle up and hop on 
one foot; he could not keep her level ; he said she had 
a record and she was going back; I told him it was a 
limp; he wanted me to look her over; at that time I 
had not seen her move ; I told him if I could not tell 
which foot it was she hopped on I could not do any- 
thing for her. I must see it in the foot. 

"George, if I tell you which foot she hops on with- 
out seeing her move you will think I know what ails 
her, won't you?" 

'Yes." 

"It is the nigh foot; that is the foot." 



160 THE horse's rescue. 

" What do you see there ?" 

'•Look in front of these two feet, they are not 
mates ; this lame foot is .contracted ; look at the heels : 
tliis lame foot is not as wide at the heel as its mate by 
half an inch, the sole is raised, the lever is longer, 
structure out of harmony, there is more strain on the 
tendons, it hurts to raise over that lever which is not 
seen at the toe; it tossed her up on that side and 
throws her off her balance." 

" Can you lev^el her?" 

" Yes, if you will let me." 

George had not seen these horses at that time go 
through this change. I told him I was afi'aid he 
would be scared. This is a valuable mare. He said 
he would not. This was about ten days j^revious to 
the fair. He wanted to show her at the fair; he had 
a mate to drive with her; he wanted her level. I 
told him I must spread her foot. I told him how she 
would be in a short time, and he must follow the 
directions, and pay no attention to the bawling, for there 
would be lots of it. " We must exercise her," said I, 
and you must doit. I have all of the horses I can handle 
now. If you get her ready for the fair I will operate 
on her, and you must do the rest of the work. I will 
tell you how." I thought I would come out in day- 
light on this job ; George was not as much of a night 
bird as I was. We got her in the shop and went at it. 
I prepared her foot and spread it ; it took George two 
days to soak her foot to get it soft. 

I took this mare right through the business part of 
this town, limping and standing upon her toe. A 
crowd soon gathered around to know the cause of the 



THE horse's rescue. 151 

trouble she was in. In order to keep clear of this 
rabble I was forced to battle with them nearly all of 
the time, so I might be able to go on with my work. 
I was obliged to tell them a lie. I told iheni it was a 
very bad ankle sprain, and kept on moving her around, 
iioing: throut^h the same process in fi^ettinsx her down 
on her heel to flat rest. This process they all have to 
go through ; some it affects more than others. It did 
not last long with this mare. I took her in the shop, 
closed the doors, and worked on her there. I^soon 
got her down all right, no limping. Out I came in the 
street again. This is quite a business town. I led her 
all over the town ; the crowd gathered in many places 
to learn how I cured hei" so quick. I told them I had 
a way that belongs to me. George and I took a sail 
after her ni-ound iho town and out in the country to 
see if she was level. She went all level, no ii<)p[)ing. 
Tills foot was spread half an i.ich. Of course it must 
have time to get strength after this change, and settle 
and grow before it could get strong. After this hard 
day's work with this horse and others I thought I 
would walk down town and see what kind of a racket 
I had made. 

I walked in the Riant House. I got it slap in the 
face. " You're a dam purty man, you are. You have 
spoilt George Woodrough's five hundred dollar mare." 
"You publish this in the papers; you can spread it 
faster and it will be less trouble." This man ran a 
cooper shop on the baidc of the canal. He came to 
me after thia to get an old cripple cured, not woi-th 
curing. He bragged on her very much. He said she 
came from Orange county ; she was a fast sailer. I 



162 THE horse's rescue. 

did shoe her, but she was so much out of harmony 
she was not worth curing. If I had tried he would 
have fought me, so I could not do it. Such fools as 
these I heeded not This mare went to the fair, and 
T followed her to superintend and see that her foot 
was not allowed to get dry. She had not had time 
enough. The drying up of the foot would mise the 
sole up. If it was but a small degree it would affect 
her action at that time. She showed all level. In six 
months after this fair two men came to this place and 
bought this mare and paid a big price. They came 
from Williamspcrt, Pa. George was to deliver her at 
that time ; my time was all taken up experimenting. 
I did not shoe any horses. In the morning George 
was going to start with this mare. I went in the 
stable. It was hubby. He said he was going to ride 
her. It is a long journey. He had her shod for this 
journey. I cast my eyes down to this mare's foot. 
^'George, this mare will be very lame before you get 
through. Why, look at them levers on the toes. She 
never can stand that." It is no use describing this 
botch job. 

"I have got my pay and pay for taking her through,** 
said George. 

The men that did this skilful work on this horse's feet 
were my warm friends. This valuable horse was 
slaughtered the first time she got in the sh()p after all 
my hard work, and yet I charged nothing for my 
extra work. They got pay for spoiling her, and they 
Vvould like by their actions no better fun than to see 
me crucified or got rid of in some way. That I was 
iiot ignorant of. Stay I would as long as I wanted to, 



THE hokse's rescue. 158 

and did, and worked on those lame and crippled 
liorses of all kinds. 

George returned. I asked him how he got through. 
He told the man the cause, and thej removed it by 
removing the shoes, and that is the way to cure thou- 
sands of lame and crippled horses, and never nail or 
have nailed on any shoes unless it could be done by 
men that have more and better brains than these men 
seem to have. A man's work corresponds with the 
caliber of his brain, quantity and quality and degrees 
of development, and when this is understood a man 
will not be in so much danger of being killed for cur- 
ing stiff and lame horses as I was in Horseheads. It 
was a hard job for me to cure, and keep cured,- so 
many liorses where there was so much slaughtering. 
Thev could slaughter twenty times faster than I could 
cure. One man could do that, and there were hun- 
dreds at it, and those that I had cured they would 
slaughter over again if they could get them, and yet 
I tried to keep up with them. If they had thought 
of that they might have got me in the asylum. I was 
experimenting, and they were ignorant of this fact, 
and had but very little knowledge of the horse or any 
rio-ht or wrong principle to iron a horse's foot. Still 
they had some power to control others to fight me, and 
did, and yet after they got through they were as big 
fools as they were two years before. As for knowl- 
edge of the horse, I never learned in that way, and I 
never saw any one that did. I sometimes fight with 
my mouth to clear away the rubbish, and have to yet. 
If I paid attention to all who advised me, I could 
never cret through. They seemed to differ so on all 



154 THE horse's rescue. 

points, and make none. It would drive a man like 
me crazy. My mind is so weak, and I bave been told 
so ver\^ often I can liardl}'' tell myself. If I am not 
crazy now there will be no danger. 

Let us go on with this horse light. It is time to go 
and see Billy Crawford. Poor Billy, I can't get him. 
He has got to die by inches. He stands in a box 
stall. He is not seen out on the road lately. I must 
see if I can find the. cause. I well knew he would go 
on from bad to worse. Poor horse, if I could only 
get you how quick I could relieve you of some of that 
safifering. I can come close to you ; your owner I 
cannot reach. He did talk with me about you once, 
and I thought I was going to get you to cure, but that 
was all wind, and that will not cure suffering horses. 
There are lots of that kind of horse doctors all over 
the land, and yet these poor horses like you are owned 
by them. They cannot cure them, neither will they 
let any one else. I have perfoi-med some cures in this 
place. I should think he might let me have you ; you 
are of no use to him now that you are past work. I sup- 
pose he is afraid you will take cold if you do not have 
shoes on. My God ! what is the use of this poor, 
dying horse having shoes on, standing in the stall 
month after month ? If some s^ood and wise man can 
tell me I would like to know. These shoes holding 
the foot from growing natural, and two sets of feet iii 
growth on at that. This work is to expose all such 
ignorance as that. Look at this horse-; eyes sunken 
and staring, and glossy hair all dying. He is very 
nervous, eats ravenously, pot-bellied ; he stands with 
his back humped across the line; head drawn down, 



THE horse's rescue. 155 

and is so stiff and sore be can hardly move. If 
he Cioes it hurts him fearfull}'', and yet the owner of 
this horse is a horse doctor. There is a boy sixteen 
years old that takes care of this stable of horses. He 
was blamed for this horse's stiffness, which I well knew 
he was not to blame for, and I am going to rescue him 
before I get through this work. I talked with this bo}^, 
and told him the cause of his favorite horse's trouble, 
and told him he vrould go on from bad to worse unless 
it was removed, Tlien I walked away. I had given 
up all hopes of getting him. It was not the pay that 
I was after. I w^ould give ten dolhxrs to get him, but 
I well knew I could not get him if I had offered to 
do it in this way. Hundreds of such men have 
talked with me for hours at a time about their 
stiff and crippled horses, and told me they would give 
me big money if I would cure them, but it was all 
dead wind. It would have been just as w^ell if it had 
never been blown. The horse remained a cripple the 
same. I have cured, or nearly so, hundreds of these 
horses; so much so, they called them cured, and they 
thought they were at least. They talked so, when I 
well knew they w^ere not. I did relieve their suffer- 
ing some for the time. With all of my hard work, I 
could get but little credit in this town. 

While working in my shop some months after thjs 
talk with this boy about Billy Crawford, he came to 
my shop. He had never been in my shop that I knew 
of at that time. In a pitiful way he approached me, 
"Mr. Doan, will you cure Billy for me? I will pay 
you. I have money of my own." 

" It will hardly do for me to go to work on him 



156 THE horse's rescue. 

without your father's consent, will it? I have never 
had any of your father's horses in my shop." 

" I o^et all of the horses shod and take care of them. 
He will not know anything about it. It will not do 
for me to put spreaders on his feet. That will be 
rather too high-handed without liis consent." 

"My dear boy,'' said I, "I can help your horse 
very much without spreaders if you will not let any 
one know I am at work on him. Should your father 
find I was working on Billy he might make trouble 
for me and you too. If you will follow directions — 
my directions, not others' — I will put Billy sailing on 
the road in two days." 

'' I will do just as you tell me,'' said the boy. * This 
is to be kept a secret, and we two must keep it." 

"Yes; all right. Fetch up Billy." 

This horse was brought into the shop. I had not 
seen Billy in a long time. lie had been growing 
worse daily, and the boy knew it, and that was the 
cause of his coming to me. The horse had shoes on 
all of his feet, which had grown very high and long, 
and were badly contracted. In one of his forward 
feet he was very lame. It was contracted more than 
the other. He had been lame in that foot ever since 
I knew him. It was pinched badly "If I dared put 
a spreader on this foot," thought I, ''how easy I could 
get him out of that, but it will not do. I must do the 
best I can in the old way. That way is slow, and this 
foot is so full of heat it will be a hard job to keep it 
soft." 

It will help him wonderfully to cut his feet down. 



THE horse's rescue, 167 

and it would be better if he could go without shoes 
unless the work is done better than this seems to be. 

Let us move this horse aronnd, and see how much 
he is out of harmony of action, before I commence 
work on liim, and we will watch the result. After 
you read this, look arounJ, and you may see some 
cases as bad as this. There are not many put in mo- 
tion til at are as bad as this horse had got to be. They 
are so out of harmony they cannot be put in motion 
and run in any way. The whole business is com- 
pletely tied up and clogged internally and externallj'' , 
cords all out of place; structure of feet all out of har- 
mony of action, and no two feet alike, consequently 
no two of the cords of the legs are alike. This horse's 
shoulders were not mates. One foot had been worse 
than the other for some time, and was j^et. Certainly 
it will require some brain work to get this horse sail- 
ing on the road in two days. I told the boy that if he 
would take good care of Billy I would not charge him 
except for shoeing the horse; and he did take good 
care of him, ''Stand around, Billy." Heavens! I 
cannot describe this horse so you can tell how badly 
off he was from so small cause, and that is ignorance, 
blind and wilfully so. But I have started and I must 
go through. Wlien this horse was made to move he 
straddled his hin.l legs the widest of any hor^o I ever 
saw of his size, and raised them the highest. It was 
done with a stiff and slow motion. He was \'ery nerv- 
ous, and seemed to tremble when I made him move. 
I backed him, and he dragged his feet and his hind 
legs; h(3 seemed to have but little ccmtrol of them. 
Some would call this spring-halt. It was not that, for 



168 THE horse's rescue. 

he had got past all spring motion. His movements 
were slow and stiff. He would not move at all unless 
he was forced to it. It hurt him in many wa3^s. He 
was very sore across the loin and kidneys. In fact, 
he was sore all over. This soreness and stiffness can- 
not be removed in two da3'S. It will take time for 
that to disappear after the cause is removed, and that 
cannot be done by the process I am obliged to work 
on but I can chano-e iiirn back toward natural many 
degrees in this way, and his suffering will disappear 
according to the degrees of change toward natural, 
and if I can relieve part of his suffering I shall be well 
paid. We will fix him behind first. It will be neces- 
sary to cut away all useless hoof, and shoe on the same 
principle I have shod all others for expanding the foot 
by the horse's weight — his forward feet the same. 
This is all I can do. One of the forward feet is rolled 
under at the heels. The structure of tbisfrot is more 
out of harmony than the other three. If I could have 
this horse to do as I wished, I would soon put his feet 
in sliJipe By spreading, I could put his foot in or 
out of harmony. Cutting away the useless hoof and 
shoeing this horse on scientific principles — thin, flat 
shoes — helped his movement at once, and this same 
treatment will help all horses that are in this deformed 
condition, and there are countless numbers all over 
the world, and countless numbers of people that are 
ignorant of this plain fact, as the owner of this poor, 
suffering horse was. 

" Bub," said I, '• take this horse to his stable"; soak 
his feet well in warm water all around, then pack 
them all with cow manure ; that is the cheapest and 



T5E horse's rescue. 169 

best, and can be got with little trouble. It will draw 
out the soreness, keep the foot moist, and stay in bet- 
ter, and there is no stone or gravel in it, as there might 
be in clay, for the sole to settle on between the sole 
and shoe. I want the sole to settle. After you have 
softened his feet, drive him, moderately at first, on 
smooth roads. After a few days you can let him sail. 
Pack all of his feet when standing in the stable 
nights. Never neglect it; and keep the feet moist 
VN^hile going through this change and afterward unless 
you want to drive a cripple. Before you drive clear 
all out under the shoe." I have already written 
enough about that. This is a lesson to this boy. I 
called him "Bub." I never learned his given name. 
I write as I talk. Men use different words to convey 
the same ideas, and I may use some that others would 
not. It is principles on the horse which I want to 
convey, on relieving the suffering horse scientifically 
without medicine. 

I watched the change and action of this horse. He 
was driving bv my shop daily, and many times a day. 
In ten days the spring-halt was all gone; he settled 
down across the loin ; he changed back wonderfully 
in that short time. This "spring-halt" business is 
called by great horsemen "string-halt." With all of 
my experience I have never seen any strings about it. 
Some say it is caused by horses sweating too much in 
the flank. What is the use of talking such baby talk 
as that? After they have removed the cause of this 
difficulty on scientific principles they will know. Un- 
til they do, or see it done, they must remain in igno- 
rance of these demonstrated facts. 



160 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

I superintended, shod, and cared for this horse's feet, 
with this boy's help, for several months, and we had 
the satisfaction of seeing Billy quite a trotter again. 
He got to looking well, the hair brightened up and lay 
sleek; his body rounded up; he could rest nights. If 
he was not in harmony of action on his forward feet 
he was so much so that it would not be seen by such 
judges as awarded him a premium at Elmira six 
months before. He could have been put in harmony 
of action if I could have been allowed to do it by his 
owner. 

They called all of these stiff horses in this pLace 
" foundered," and classed them in four kinds. After 
I had cured them it was something else — "road-sore" 
or " rheumatism," or they would get stiff again. I 
had worked almost night and day in this town, and 
had spent hundreds of dollars besides what I earned 
shoeing, a great deal of which was paid me in prom- 
ises that were never fulfilled. I saw that my money 
was going fast. I must change my course or there 
would be danger of shipwreck. I used no medicine, 
consequent!}^ I could not get any pay for ray skill. 

A thought occurred to me to experiment on the hu- 
man family. I always have been experimenting and 
watching the result. I picked up two castaway beer 
bottles, went to the brick-yard, put sjme brick-dust in 
them, and filled them with water. Then I got some 
of the ingredients fi'om a hen-roost to make up this 
composition, and locked it up in my desk. They 
would have it I used medicine in some way. I 
thought, as I could not have my way, I would let 
them have their wav, and see what the result would 



THE horse's rescue. 161 

be. Soon there came a man with a lame horse. This 
was a common thing at all hours of the day at my 
shop. Some came thirty miles and farther. All came 
to get cared for the price of shoeing the horse. My 
fame had spread far and wide. This horse had been 
lame about two years. His shoulders had been blis- 
tered, and his cords, too, until the hair was all off. 
He, too, was sent to me. He wanted me to tell him 
wh'at ai'led his horse. Tired nearly to death, talking 
with so many from morning until night, and working 
at the same time, I told him it was coffin-joint diffi- 
culty, as it was. But that was not all of his trouble ; 
he wanted to know if I could cure it. 

"Yes," I replied, ''I can, but it will require some 
powerful medicine to reach that." 

I heated up my water, prepared the foot, put it to 
soak in the tub, went to the desk, which I unlocked, 
and took these two bottles of medicine out. I poured 
some of the contents of each in the water. Then I 
put the bottles in the desk again and locked it. After 
this horse's foot had soaked a short time I dressed and 
shod it. All that ailed this horse, or rather the cause of 
his lameness, was having irons put on his feet by some 
one that knew but very little about the horse. Some 
smith had cut off the sides of his foot, set the shoe 
too narrow, and run it out at the toe. The lever 
would have made him lame if nothing more had taken 
place. The coffin-joint was out of harmony. I told 
the owner he would go better by degrees ; in ten days 
he would be well. At the end of that time he came 
to !ny shop and told me it turned out as I said it 
would. I did not practice this new process of curing 



162 THE horse's rescue. 

liorses long, neither did I cLarge any extra aside from 
shoeing. I soon saw they conld be humbugged b}'' 
me, and easily too. But this was not what I was aim- 
ing at. There were too man}^ at work at that now for 
the pay. I did not cause theliorse suffering, and they 
did. My liealth fj'om this laborious wcrk was likely 
to give out, I decided to make a bold stand right in 
the hottest of this battle for the horse. I would find 
an old liorse that was well known b}' many and was 
stiff and lame, and what they called " foundeied " of 
lor.g standing. I searched around for a long time to 
find the one I wanted. T could hardly go amiss of 
stiff and lame hoi'scs, and they were all for sale, but 
were not what I wanted. At last one came to me. I 
saw str.nding tied in the street an old-looking, stiff, 
white mare, poor in flesh. She seemed shi'iveled and 
dried up ai'ound her shoulders; her neck dropped 
down from withers; eyes suidvcn. She stood braced 
out, with her feet huddled together. I looked her 
le<?s over. She was of Messenser stock ; her limbs 
were as smooth and clean as a deer's. The hind feet 
and legs were quite natural, and she stood well on 
them. I looked in her moutli, and saw that she w^as 
old. She had a parrot mouth- — that is, the upper 
teeth shut over the under ones. I knew she could 
eat, for that kind of a mouth will allow the grinders 
to come together when old. While I was lookins: the 
liorse over, a man came who was her owner. That 
was what I was waiting for. I had made up my mind 
to have this mare pi'oviding I could trace her past life, 
if I had to pay twent}^ times as much as she was 
was woi-th. Her stiffness was of longstanding; that 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 163 

I knew, and her worth to me was not ten cents except 
for experiment. I did not tell him what I wanted her 
for. 

" Will yoit sell this mare ?"' I inquired. 

He said she was a pet in the family ; " the old 
wotnen could drive her." They can drive all such 
cripples as this, but not far in a day (I did not tell him 
that). 

"Whom did 3'ou get her of?"' 

" Marshal. He keeps this ci'ockery store right 
here. His father raised her. Let us go in and talk 
with Marshal." 

" Mr. Marshal, can vou tell me this mare's life from 
a coU?" 

*'I can, nearly so. She was owned by Yankee Wes- 
ton. At three years old my father bouoht her. Siie 
had always been in the family until I sold her to this 
man." 

" How old is she now ?" 

"Twenty- three." 

"How long has she been stiff?" 

"She was foundered when she was eight years 
old." 

"According to that, she has been stiE fifteen 
years." 

«'Yes." 

" How was it done?"' 

"Father let the hired man have her todrive, and he 
nearly drove her to death. She has been stiff ever 
since." 

"Did 3^ou ever try to do anything for her?" 

"Yes; we did everything we could. She has been 



164 THE horse's rescue. 

blistered, seatoned, and roweled, and she ran out two 

years. It did not seem to help her." 

" Cap.," said I, '' what will you take for this mare?" 

•' Had I better sell her, Marshal ?" said he. 

'^ Let him have her if he wants her," replied Mar- 
shal. 

"You may have her," said the owner to me, "for 
fifty dollars." 

"Here are four ten-dollar bills," said I. "I will 
give them to you for her." 

" If you will let me keep her one week — that will 
finish up my fall's work — I will do it. I will bring her 
down." 

He came as he agreed. That was the biggest horse 
sale that had been made in that town, and it would 
have gone hard with me if they had hauled me up for 
lunacy. Paying so much for such a horse as that, in 
the fall, did show some symptoms of insanity ; but, 
said I, I will risk it. I will kick up a bigger racket if 
they do not take better care of their horses. After 
clearing my shop of some work I had on hand, I led 
this old mare into the most public places, and com- 
menced talking horse in order to attract attention. 
After the crowd had gathered I told them the object 
I had in doing this was to get their opinion on this 
horse. ' Many of you," I told them, "know her. I 
want you to say, in your judgment, if you call this 
horse foundered of long standing. Marshal says she 
was stiffened fifteen years ago." They stared at me, 
and looked at each other. Finally I got some of 
them to pronounce her foundered of long standing. I 
told them they bad better put some private mark on 



THE horse's bescue. 165 

her or brand her. I was going to try to cure this 
horse without medicine, and in six months they 
would not know her. Then I went to another part of 
the town. As I marched away I heard muttering like 
this, " The damned old fool is crazy." That I knew 
would come, and worse, before I started out. I got 
another crowd in another place, and told the same 
story over. This I followed up for several hours, then 
led the horse up Main street. She hobbled along, 
stepping about eight inches, one foot over the other; 
head down ; lame on both feet, and lamer on one than 
the other. On my route home I was in the center 
of the street. People were passing aiul repassing on 
all sides of me. I had got to be quite well known at 
that time. I took it on all sides, but all they could 
get out of me was, "My money paid for this horse.'' 
I led her in the yard at my house. My wife looked 
at her. She did not say much, but I could see she 
did not fancy my purchase. I put the horse in the 
barn. Next morning she had to be led through Main 
street to get to my shop. I took the center of the 
street. This street parade got up nioie opposition. 
The old women took it up, and they went to talking 
horse. "When I had attracted their attention I thought 
there would be hopes that some of tlieni might want 
to know what all of this racket was about. In that 
case there would be a good chance to teach them. 
But these rackets would rise and fall, and no one 
seemed to learn anything about the horse. By their 
talk I judged they knew it all, and for this reason they 
could not learn. When a man arrives at this stage of 
progression, there is not much hope. Wlien a num 



166 THE horse's rescue. 

is satisfied with what he has got, he is not prepared 
for anything higher. I was not satisfied, with all my 
experience and experimenting. I wanted to try and 
see what effect it would liave on this old, chronic, 
long-standing case, to please myself, and as long as I 
paid my way, and was burdensome to no man, and the 
money I used was the proceeds of my own labor, it 
v/as the business of no man to interfere with my busi- 
ness until I wrong or injure some one, then, of 
coui'se, I should have been amenable to the law. 

This old mare I took into my shop, pulled off her 
shoes, and dressed her feet. They were so rolled up 
by contraction on the bottom that they had but very 
little frog Thej^ had the a{)pearance of a grain of 
coffee on the seatn side, and they were very liard. I 
well knew this was a long and hard job, and what the 
result would be I knew not. I had taken a bold 
stand. If I failed whose business is it? Where is 
there a man that has not made some failures in life? 
But in this town I was in the way of some, and they 
had their dupes to hel[) them do their dirty work, and 
they had lots of it to do in many ways. I put my 
spi'eading shoes on. After soaking very soft and 
spreading her feet the first time one-quarter of an 
inch, it affected her very much. She could not con- 
trol her legs. I moved her around the shop, soaked 
her feet, and washed her legs and shoulders with warm 
water. While she stood with her feet in the tub, I 
held my leg in front of hers hours at a time, and 
tapped her on her hind parts to get her on hei* base. 
If the time had been kept, it would have amounted to 
a month that I spent night and day on this mare. 



THE horse's rescue. " 167 

When I was in my sliop shoeing this mare was there. 
My little boy lielped me. He could wash her legs 
and move her around. I had other horses to take 
care of at tl'is time. I worktid on her in the stable 
cold winter nights, and exercised her nights fen* six 
months when all were asleep. After I had spread her 
feet the first time she was so bad I did not show' hei'. 
She could not stand on three feet while I packed the 
other one, but would come down on her knees. I kept 
l)er feet soft. In a few davs she could stand up quite 
"well, though one foot kept lame about ten days. Tiie 
shoulders were so deformed, and had been so so long, 
that it seemed impossible for them ever to come back 
to their natural place. This was the cause of my hav- 
ins: so much work to do to 2;et hev there, but she could 
not stay. I pulled her neck on top, rubbed and 
pulled the skim on iicr shoulders, and washed them 
in warm water; tlie fact is, I was in the barn nights 
with this horse and others, or on the road di-iving them 
more than half of the time tliat wi?iter. My wife told 
me one night that I was a fool. I did not quari-ei 
with her, for I had had some serious thoun^hts en the 
subject myself. I was losing many nights' rest, and 
obtaining no reward. I was buying feed to keep 
other people's horses, and curing them for nothing. 
When lookino: at it in this lig^ht, it did not look verv 
promising. They could not read my thoughts. I was 
determined to excel as a worker on the horse's feet, 
and fit myself for a teacher; and before lean instruct^ 
said I to mvself, I must know sDmethinii^ to teach. 

This old mare was to be my last experiment. I 
could not expand her feet enough at one time to let 



168 THE horse's rescue. 

the sole down to its natural place. It had to be done 
bj degrees and without taking off the shoes. At the 
second change I spread her feet three-eights of an inch. 
This did not efiect her as much as the first. It made 
her lame on the same foot as it had at the former 
change, but in about ten days she recovered from that, 
and begun to have knee action and stay on her base 
better. This was encouraging. This was a light 
mare ; her weight did not seem to hold the sole down : 
it was inclined to go back. It had been that wa\'' so 
long that a little raise would effect her. If she could 
have been put to drawing loads it would have helped 
to draw^ her shoulders back to their natural place and 
kept the sole down, and she would have got out of her 
trouble in half of the time. That I knew, but I had 
no such work for her to do. This horse must have 
good care, and if I did it myself I would know it was 
done. I fed her fine middlings. She was old, and in 
order to cure she must thrive andgrow fat. The skin 
around her shoulders must be got loose and filled up 
underneath with fat. Withal, it is some work to lim- 
ber up such cases as this. 

While I was working on this horse's shoulders 
George Woodrough came up. He says: 

''Doan, why don't you use some liniments on her 
shoulders? It might help y^u." 

''Yes," I replied, "it might, but I would not put 
any on her for twenty-five dollars. If I should I would 
only have to go through all of this work again. I am 
experimenting on this thing to see if this trash has 
any curing properties in it. I am well convinced it 
has not, atid have been for many years ; and I am go- 



THE horse's uescue. 169 

ing to know, by reducing this whole complicated busi- 
ness to demonstrated fact for myself, then I shnll 
know when this is done. If it proves as I think it 
will, I will salt that down as knowlege. There is no 
knowledge in opinions and beliefs for me, especially 
what others believe." 

After working on this mare about four wrecks I took 
off her shoes and cupped the feet out and pared 
them down some. They were then narrower than the 
shoe. I closed the shoe, and nailed it on. This mare's 
feet were kept soft all of the time — spread next time 
half an inch; that let the sole down, or I thought it 
ought to, nearly fiat. It did not come down to suit 
me. This was in the day-time. The horse must be 
moved around ; this sole must be got down in some 
way, soon after spreading, or it will play mischief. It 
must all work together in harmony. I led her out of 
the business part of the town. Ker movement was 
bad. After I got well out of the business part of the 
town I got on her to ride, not for pleasure, but to add 
weight, so as to settle the sole down. After ridinor in 
this way for some time, I would get off and look to 
see how this plan was working. It was going down 
all right It was rather hard work for me, worse, I 
tliought, than riding on a rail. I hurried her -up, but 
she could neither trot nor run, and did not seem to 
have any gait, but all kinds of gaits tangled up to- 
gether. While going through this exercise I passed 
some laborers that worked in the brick-yard, some 
white men, some black. They were loading a boat 
with brick. They hooted at me, and swung their 
hats, which did not affect me any. I knew as well as 



170 THE horse's rescue. 

thev did what kind of an appearance 1 made. I knew 
wliMt, I \v;is trying io do, and llun'' tlid not. I well 
kii'3\v what lliey wo'ilil be, some of t.liem, ;iftcr pny 
d:iv. Tiiey could wheel bi'ick after others "had made 
them by having a mati to su[)eri!!tend the work. 

This mare for four months after this was not much 
seen in the streets in the day time, not that I cared for 
what I was surrounded with, but I had to work in my 
shop during the day to get money to live on, and work 
on the horse nicrhts. I do not wish vou to understand 
I did not sleep any. My rest was not long at one 
time. Mv mind was so fixed on this job I e«>u!d not 
sleep much. All hands wei"e watclnng this old mare, 
and I could not tell how it was coming out myself. 
This last spread let up on tlic mare, and she stood lier 
fore legs back of straight. She was lame on one foot 
tlie same, and al)ont the same length of time. After 
having got this mure on her base, reader, it will be well 
to look her over and see the condition lier shoulders 
are in. They lookerdarged around and attliepoiiit of 
the shoulder, caused by the shoulders being yhiam ken 
above. Let us look and see if her sh >ulders are alike. 
The side that she was lame on when I bought her, and 
lame every time I spread her foot, is many degrees the 
worst. She is orooked. 

Reader, do you want me to tell you ray tlioughts 
when I first saw this? I had not seen it before, as the 
deformity did not show until I got ]jer well back on 
lier base. I knew her shoulders were deformed, but I 
did not think one side was so much worse than the 
other. I said to myself — for I was alone — '* The cak?) 
is all dough ; these shoulders will never be mates, that 



THE horse's rescue. 171 

is certain. II: this old mare was back in some swamp 
dead I would give twenty-five dollars. I guess I have 
como out of my hole too far this time. They have 
got tlic whip row on me now, certainly. Well, tlie 
world is as big as it ever v^^as, and I have got lots of 
time yet, and if I fail I can move to another place. 
If the mare is crooked, she is not lame ; and she 
stands up good on her legs and has got good knee ac- 
tion. I will spend five months on her yet. If she 
never gets well and straight, the ju-inciple is i-ight- 
Reader, there are all degrees of deformed shoulders, 
and they are not always deformed in paiis. It is seen 
only by men of practical and experimental knowledore 
unless the}^ become ver\^ bad. They are all caused, 
or nearly so, by ironing the feet. These degrees of 
deformity of the slioulders ai-e regulated by the de- 
grees of contraction of the feet. Expansion, that is, 
settling down below flat, does not effect mucli. If the 
liorse is balanced up V;etween contraction and lever- 
age the shoulder is affected. If his feet ai'e not con- 
tracted alike, his shoulders are not affected alike. You 
cannot iron a cup-foot horse and nail on his shoes as 
it is usually done without these changes taking |.lnce. 
In the fore part of this work I left two hoif-e>. The 
first was badly thrown off his base by contraction en 
all his legs. When, as a hoy, I first commenced 
woiking on the hoise, for several years I did not 
know that cutting the heels too low and leaving tlie 
toe too long would throw the horse off his base as this 
horse is if no contraction had taken place. I was not 
alone in this ignorance in that day, and as far as I can 
see, nearly all are as ignorant now of this simple fact 



172 . THE horse's rescue. 

as the J were thirty-five years ago. I just saw one 
pass, with a man on his back, so stiff from this cause 
that he could hardly go ; completely off hiy base ; back 
settled down, and in no shape to hold up weight. I 
should think this man, by his looks, would weigh 
about two hundred pounds. His knowledge of the 
horse must be very slight. Horses thrown off their 
base in this way, and worked for many years^ or even 
if they are not worked, get in the same fix as this old 
white mare I am working on now, and from the same 
cause, contraction and leverage, which become chronic 
and seated, and the longer standing the harder to 
change back. 

Let us look at the hind legs of this horse. It has 
been a long time since I have seen Kim. He was 
young when I left him, and is well along in ^^ears now. 
He has two spavins. They are called by the veterina- 
rians and professors of great wisdom of the horse, 
" blood " or "bog" spavins. These doctors tell about 
curing these spavins. They burn, blister, and daub 
on all kinds of trash, and charge for doing it, and yet 
the horse is lame and so stiff I can hardly raise his 
feet from the floor to shoe him, it hurts him so. He 
cannot bend his leg, and I have many times been 
obliged to raise the whole hind parts of these cured 
spavined horses clear from the floor before they could 
stand, and yet they were all cured. They did not 
limp because they were stiff and lame in both legs. 
Let us see if we can trace from cause to effect and see 
what we can find. All horsemen and thinking men 
will and do allow that what is called spavin is caused 
by a strain or sprain in some way, and that is what I 



THE horse's rescue. • 173 

think myself. A horse may slip and injure himself 
running or playing, and there are many that do. I ^A'ill 
say right here that there are more horses sprained by 
contraction and leverage than all other causes put to- 
gether. When horses are thrown oS. their base, as 
this horse is, b}^ contraction, it lengthens the lever 
very long. When a horse has to rise over that lever, 
draw a load, and hold up two-thirds of his weight all 
of the time, and wdien standing or drawing, he is in no 
position to hold up this weight. I should think there 
was danger of s-training thegambrel joints. Horses in 
this condition you cannot go amiss of if you will look 
at them,. Tliey are in all degrees of change from 
natural. What is the condition of these horses, if they 
lie down, when they want to rise? The horse always 
rises up on his forward legs first. Then he comes up 
on his hind legs with a spring-like motion. The more 
these horses are thrown off their base, no matter from 
what cause, the more the strain on the gambrel joints 
in rising. It is in many ways a strain on these horses 
to rise. The kidneys are strained ; in fact, it strains 
the horse all over. 

Now, quacks, come on with your firing, blistering 
trash and cure these spavined horses, or any other, 
without removing the cause, if you can, with two- 
thirds of his weight on these crippled legs. All you 
can do, or ever have done in this line, is to torture the 
already suffering horse, and there has been a great 
amount of that done all over the land, and no good 
result derived from it for either the horse or its owner. 
This I have known for many years. 

Let us look the ringbone over a little. I have seen 



174 THE horse's rescue. 

one colt in my life, I think, that was foaled with what 
is called ringbone. I did not see this colt until he was 
about four months old. The mother had ringbone on 
both forward feet. I w'as looking at this colt. I 
thought I could see a little enlargement around the 
top of the wall. It did not look quite i-ight to me. I 
watched him. At about eight months he began to 
show signs of trouble in his forward feet. When he 
traveled over frozen ground I could see it hurt him. 
At one year old he was lame in one foot. With idl of 
my study of the hoi'se this is the only case of this 
kind I ever saw. I think nine-tenths of the ringbones 
ai-e the result of irritation caused by contraction and 
leverage. To raise ovei' the lever ii-ritates badly where 
the ringbone has its i-ise. I have experimented on 
these in this way by shortening the lever and giving 
casv toe to raise on. They would go better as long as 
the cause of the irritation was kept removed. I never 
meddled with their feet spi-eading. I never have seen 
one cured. I have seen lots of men torturing tliem 
and watching the result, and have had as good oppor- 
tunities as any man. I have lived with horses all of 
my life, and been straddle of their legs, or liad their 
feet on me in some way (and sometimes they were on 
m}^ head), and their teeth, too. I have had these ring- 
bone curers come into my shop to heat up their irons. 
They would have several kinds, which they would 
heat reddiot; kept some in the fire heating all of the 
time, so as to keep this reddiot business of torturing 
the horse a-going fast. I have seen this done on ring- 
bone horses, when the cause of their worst trouble was 
that the toe of the foot was one inch too long, and had 



THE horse's rescue. 175 

shoes on at that. These horses can never recover 
from their hirnciicss with tliis lever on the too, rind 
growing longer mH the linie, nnd the foot made still 
s<»!"er l)v the most b:irb;ii'Oiri treatment :i man ever wit- 
nessed — tlmt of burning. Iloiscn treated in this way 
' would be disabled foi* six months at least. I have 
watched the result of this butcher}', and have seen no 
cure and no relief. Header, do you want to know how 
I look on these burners of horses? They put me in 
mind, when I see them at ^York on the horse, of the 
wild and uncivilized savages tattooing themselves and 
each other bv burniiiEr and disfieurini^ their own bodies; 
ar.d yet the^c fme-feeling men have threatened me and 
mv bi'oiiiers. J. J. and Olivt-r D<>an. v.ith proM'culion 
for crueliv lt> animal^'. What innoeenl and svmjya- 
tiielic bai"baria:is iheso men arc! 

This horr.e I have been wi itinc: about in the fore 
])art of this vroik is not yet as bad as he can be made. 
I mav 2;-et around and sec him airain. I have many 
horses to watch, many miles apart, and some hundreds 
of miles This watching has been kept up all my life. 
Let us go back and look at this second horse, wdiich I 
left in this work — the one I had such a hard time bal- 
ancing up between contraction and leverage. It has 
been some time since I have seen him. Ilis knees and 
ankles were straight when I sliod him. He is now 
tiiipcd on knee and ankle on both his forward legs; 
both ankles behind are crooked. His h.ead is down; 
tinkles swollen all around; cords seem to be thiekened 
up; he looks bad. Poor horse, they have got you in 
a bad fix. I suppose the reader will want me to tell 
the cause of this horse's trouble, and the way out of 



176 THE horse's rescue. 

it. That I can do. I understand thiswliole business. 
As complicated as it may appear to you, it is as easy 
for me now to tell you the cause that threw this horse 
in this position, and the principle to work on to get him 
out of this fix, as it is for you to pick up a basket of 
chips; but to get him out of it is quite another tiling. 
It is a hard job, and yet it can be done. T have 
learned something since I balanced this horse. That 
was the best I could do with the cup foot at that time 
on him and all others. I have now got to bj master 
of the horse's foot. I can do as I like with it. I can 
expand the foot on the right principle. Contraction 
is the great cause of this horse^s first trouble. Then 
to divide between contraction and levernge, the best 
that could be done at the time when I shod him last. 
He has been shod many times since, and they liave 
left him too high on the heels by not dressing his feet 
properly, or the fault is in the shoe partly ; in both 
perhaps. They have thrown him forward off his base 
by this work, and he has been so so long it will be a 
hard job to change him back. I have tackled horses 
that are harder to cure than this. This horse's shoul- 
ders are not half as bad as they would have been if 
be had not been balanced up in this way. His shoul- 
ders are badly out of harmony. He will not be 
as bad to get on his base. The way to go to work is 
at the feet. This cannot be done at once ; it will take 
time. It will have to be done by degrees, the same 
way I am working on this old gray mare ; but lie is 
different. She is thrown back off her base; he is 
thrown forward. He has more ailments than she. 
His knees and ankles have all gone forward, and yet 



THE horse's rescue. 177 

with all he has had done to him, the first cause has not 
been removed. This horse is the one that liadEO mnch 
experimenting done on him, and still he is alive ; and 
to the first cause there have been several more added. 
The structure of the feet have been out of harmony 
all this time. This horse's feet and legs ai-e nearly 
paralj^zed, and he has been a constant sufferer all this 
time. After long-standing cases like this there is 
some work to be done to let this horse down at the 
heels, change the structure of the foot back, and put 
it internaljy in harmony of action ; relax the cords on 
all four legs, and equalize his weight on the center of 
each foot, and balance him on an equilibrium in the 
center, and equalize the lever in length on all four feet, 
and equalize the weight on the eight separate heels so 
as to cause him to travel on a straight line ; and yet 
this can be done, so much so, that it would be hard 
for the closest observers to tell where the defect is if 
there is any. There are many cases that are past cure. 
They can all, or nearly all, be helped. Old horses are 
not worth curing. They are never as good as they 
would have been if they had not been in this condi- 
tion. Young horses are easier to change back, and are 
as good as ever. This poor horse is the final result of 
thousands and millions on the globe. There is no use 
describing the process of curing him. The same 
method by which I cured the dapple-brown called 
Mike cures all the troubles they are thrown in that I 
have laid cown in this book. I never tried to cure 
bog or blood spavin by throwing the unequal weight 
off their legs or removing the unnatural strain to see 
what the effect would be. I considered them incur- 



178 THE horse's rescue. 

able, and do vet. I will leave that for some more sci- 
entiiic man tlian I am to test. I shall spend my time 
in introducing what I know. The horse cannot be 
cured or the cause of this trouble removed while he is 
standing; in the stable. After the chanjj^e he must 
draw loads, and that will draw him back on his base 
by degrees. The first change v/ill effect him veiy 
much, and he should be helped by washing and rub- 
bing his legs in vratcr as \Tarm as he can beai', and keep 
it up. Do not get tired; if you do, j'ou will never 
cure any stiff hoi'ses. This is the onlj^ way they can 
be cured. The effect doctors can sometimes find the 
effect when it gets very bad. That is a little of the 
effect to tinkei* at. They have a good long list of 
names for the effects, many of which have no mean- 
ing, or, if they have, it does not remove the cause that 
produces the effect. I have had many of these fel- 
lows gather around me, trying to put me Ihi'ough an 
examination, asking me what I was going to do in 
cases of ossified cartila2:e and navicular disease. Poor 
fools ! what can they do? They have dissected some 
dead horse's feet, and found ihat this or that had taken 
place; and this trouble had shortened the horse's life, 
and in many cases caused his death by the suffering he 
was obliged to endure frc.m being out of harmony in 
many ways internally and externally. I would ask 
these wonderful talkers. What help is it to the live 
horse in this same suffering condition that you are 
able to tell what ailed these dead horses? They can 
see no farther inside these horses' feet than I can to 
tell what condition it is in. All they can do is to 
open them after the horse is dead. I can make them as 



THE horse's EESCrK. 179 

tbev were when thev were colt's feet. If thev linve 
been contracted very bad, so as to cause ossification, 
expanding lets ibe body corne back on the base and 
Lelps in many ways that they have never seen, and 
which I think some never will sec. They have so 
much talking to do they can spend no time to learn 
this great science, and that is not all; they will have 
to take as much as two lessons before they will be 
able to teach. I nse no medicine, and work on the 
feet, the cause of all this trouble, and cure ; they work 
all over the horse, and use all kinds of liniments, blis- 
tering, and butchering, and the horse goes on from 
bad to worse, and no cure is effected. 

After I get the colt's foot on in shape, and all in 
harmony of action, and keep it so or nearly so, and 
natuie does not repair the damages caused by contrac- 
tion, then I think tliere is some trouble inside that na- 
ture cannot help. I never applied this principle on 
any horse that I did not help, and wonderfully, too. 
When I quit one of these horses the effect dojtors 
need not take the job of curing. Their medicine is 
useless trash, and their butchery is worse. If I can 
do this as I state, that is proof enough. 

I read a small piece in a paper about ten years since, 
w^ritten many years ago by Dr. Gangees, on the horse's 
feet. They had been held, he said, from growing nat- 
ural by ironing. That was all he could say about it. 
He knew nothing of the effect it produced. They had 
been elongated. He was an Englishman. Here are 
some sayings of a horse-shoer, also an Englishman, 
who wrote a book in 1700. His name was William 
Osmer. He was a practical horse-shoer. They had 



180 THE horse's rescue. 

stiff and lame horses in his day. They called stiS 
horses " shook in the shoulders." He said in his writ- 
ings that the people were "shook in the head," and I 
think he was right; and that saying holds good jet. 
He said, too, that the cause was in the feet, but Le 
could not get them out of tlieir trouble. The English 
have spent as much money experimenting on horses' 
feet as any nation on the globe, without doubt. 
There are many things to look to at the same time; 
and in changing: these horses all must work in har- 
mony. The cause of failures in the spreading of 
horses' feet is due to the fact that the men \Yho have 
attempted to do the work could see but one thing at 
one time, and that one thing they did not see as they 
should. It is very simple when understood. 

My experience and trying to introduce this science 
convinces me that Robert G. IngersoH's lecture on the 
"Skulls" is the soundest lecture I ever read or heard. 
Bob did not mean to say that the skulls had any knowl- 
edge in them ; he meant that the brains that were in- 
side of the skulls were what did the business. He 
said in this lecture, at the first start, " Man advances 
just in the proportion that he mingles his thoughts 
with his labor." There is more sense conveyed in 
these few words than whole volumes written by some 
that are dogging on his track. 

That is the way this work was perfected — mingling 
thoughts with labor for forty-one 3^ears ; and I have 
had lots of dogs at my heels, but I never felt I was in. 
danger. It is queer ; yome folks will not no anything 
themselves nor let anyone else if th.ey can prevent it. 
What a lot of trouble they do have! 



THE horse's rescue 181 

I had to tack ship sometimes in this horse sail. 
Those that were' with me sometimes, blowing their 
bugles for me, would change their tunes and blow the 
other way. Then I would be obliged to tack ship. It 
is queer, when you think this matter over, how quick 
a man can chance a tune on his bustle after he 2:ets 
used to blowing it. In order to understand these sud. 
den changes on these bugles you must trace from the 
change to the cause of the change. These changes 
are constantly taking place in all things. 

About the first stable of horses I tackled was Mot 
Bennett's, in Horseheads — not the hotel keeper, but 
his uncle. He was carrying on a heavy business at 
that time in many ways. He was building railroads; 
he was opening an avenue six miles long to connect 
two towns; he kept a large lumber yard and sawmill ; 
he had all kinds of machinery conne-cted with this to 
get out brackets, cornices for buildings ; in fact, en- 
tirely too much for any man to cslyvj. He had lots for 
sale on this avenue. He gave employment to a large 
number of men that wanted work. But times changed 
on Mot. He bucked at it hard to keep it going, but it 
was no go; it balanced over the wrong way for him. 
Men that he had paid thousands of dollars \\ ould not 
lake his promises to pay written on paper .-my more. 
I shod Mot's horses through these trying tim(\ It was 
all charged on the book, and the amount w.i.s about 
forty dollars. I well knew I would stand no chance 
to get my pay. The big fish always eat up the little 
ones. I took my pay in an old wagon at about three 
prices, and let it go at that. Poor MoL, I liked him. 
He was a wliole-souled fellow, but he was carrying too 



182 THE horse's kescue. 

heavy a load. He came home from his hard day's 
work over taxed, and sat down in his chair, his speech 
lost. In a few days Mot passed awa}^ Some time be- 
fore this I was talking horse in the streets. Mot said 
to me, '"You had better go to work." This remark, 
coming fj'om him, rather shocked me. I thought of 
his horses that I liad been caring for, and the one that 
I }.)ulled out of the straw — that four hundred dollar 
horse; besides, at that time I was doing more hard 
work and working n:ore houis than any two men in 
that town. Eighteen hours a duy and night were put 
in ; the fact is, I was nearly used up. The cripples 
kept increasing on me. I wa:? over-worked, and I was 
obliged to send some away, and I dropped Mot's horses. 
Money I n:iust have to live on, and to buy feed for 
these horses that I was experimenting on, or I should 
fail. This caused his bugle to change, but the blast 
did not blow me oS. my base. I w^as likely to lose all 
of my friends in this town. Some fous^ht me for cur- 
ing and some for not curing their horses and keeping 
them cured. The whole business seemed likely to 
turn against me. I made up my mind I would switch 
off awliile and rest up. I was about whipped in this 
horse fight. I went to my shop, threw both doors 
open, got a shoe-keg and set it near the door, took some 
papers and books and commenced to read. I did not 
read much ; I did not get a chance. New customers 
kept coming all of the time to crowd out the old ones. 
I could not do all of this hard work. They would 
come an go. None of these men stayed with me all 
of the time They did not come to my shop except 
occasionally. There was not one man in the lot that 



THE horse's rescue. 183 

knew how much work I was doing, and I came to this 
conclusion: It was none of their business if I take a 
rest. I made up my mind to clear awaj some of this 
racket. The horses commenced to come. I sent them 
all awaj. I was asked : 

" Are 3'ou not going to shoe any more horses?" 

"Not at present. " 

Some would ask: "How are jou going to live? 
You live, don't you ?" 

"Yes; I can live anywhere you can. There are 
plenty of shops in this town where you can get your 
shoeing done.'' 

I sat on that keg every week-day for two weeks and 
sent all away. That seemed to quiet the noise for a 
time. Then I resumed my work. The horses came, 
all I wanted to wrestle with. I had bought a house 
and six village lots in this town. The street-cai's ran 
past my place. They run from Horseheads toElmira. 
The distance is six miles, and that was the main wagon 
road. At the time I lived in this town it was a great 
thorouohfare. Here I saw some of the worst crueltv 
I ever witnessed dealt out to these poor, stiff horses. 
It was all I could do to keep cool. This was going on 
daily, and Sundays it was worse. It was brutality ran 
mad, made so by rum. 

When I commenced this work it was to be confined 
to the horse's feet, tracing cause to effect and effect to 
cause. This book was not named until I had made 
quite a start in the work, and 'as it is called "The 
Horse's Rescue," I shall have to meddle a little with 
the rum question. I never have talked much on that 
subject, but I cannot see any way to steer on my course 



184 THE horse's RESCUE. 

without coming in contact with it. I have heard lots 
of men lecture on this subject, and talk about the 
effect of rum on the human family, and I have seen 
the effect punished while the cause remained undis- 
turbed. In all of these lectures I ever heard or read 
I never heard one woixl said in defense of the long- 
suffering and abused horse ; and as I am come to their 
lescue, I shall work all the field I can to accomplish it. 
This lecture on rum is to show that it affects the 
liorse in many ways, and badly, too, all over the United 
States, and I have been over some of it. It is the 
same in all phices, some worse than others. I will 
give you a little sketch of this wholesale abuse caused 
by rum in this God-serving town where I am battling 
for tiie horse. These are facts. They are no third 
hand business. It was a common thing on Sunday for 
me to see three and four wagons pass my house at one 
time, going from Horseheads to Elmira, four in the 
wagon, one horse drawing the load, and he stiff and so 
sore on his feet — caused by ironing his feet by such as 
are whipping and pounding him — that he could hardly 
keep on his balance ; all swinging their hats over their 
heads ; one plying the whip, sometimes a club; cross- 
ing and rocrossing this street-car track every ten or 
fifteen rods Some of these beings called human were 
so badly off their base they could not sit up straight 
if they tried. They would balance over in all shapes, 
some forward, some backward. Some would hang 
over sideways, and tliey were constantly changing, all 
the time yelling and whooping ; horses going as fast as 
they could be made to go in their deformed con- 
dition. This could be seen, passing and repassing all 



THE horse's rescue, 185 

days. Sundays with me part of the day was spent 
fixing up my patients, the horses, making them as com- 
fortable as I could. The shop I did not work in in 
this place ; they Tvould not bring any work on that 
day, so I got a little rest working in my garden, which 
is no labor to me ; it is enjoyment. I could enjoy my- 
self hoeing and weeding in my garden on this day as 
well as anything I could do, if it had not been for this 
panorama that was constantly passing ; that destroyed 
all. It was very annoying to me. Of all the damned 
sights I ever saw, these are the worst to me. I use 
the word "damned'' because it suits me the best to 
convey my feelings. Damned means condemned, and, 
if somebody does not get damned for abusing tliese 
horses, neither of these two words has any meaning at 
all. I think the damning should rest on the cause. 

What kind of compositions these poor, duped speci" 
mens of humanity had been taking into their stomachs 
I know not ; they did not seem to know what they 
were doing, neither did they seem to see where they 
were steering to. These are fit subjects to have the 
horse ! If these horses were balanced in the center 
and limber there would be some brains spilt. One 
cripple sailed past my house, after crossing and recross- 
ing this track. He was quite a sailer, for a three- 
legged horse, for one was not of much use except to 
keep him from tipping over. I told my wife, " There 
will be a shipwreck soon ; that craft cannot sail long in 
this course without one." In a few days, not far from 
my house, this wreck took place. The driver had been 
helped into his wagon ; up-town he went, steam all 
up, and no regulator. This two-legged, perpendicular 



186 THE hobse's rescue. 

machine in the wagon was so badly off his balance 
that it fell over the horizontal machine — the propell- 
ing power. The center or vital part was all in mid- 
dling order, so much so that it was dangerous 1o set it 
in motion without a governor. Somebody started it, 
and down it came. It ran wild. Out went the man 
head-first, struck his head against a stone, and knocked 
his brains out. This horizontal machine kept on go- 
ing, and if there had been three or four more in this 
wasron in the same fix the first was in, this machine 
would have run the same until it smashed up some 
more. The horse smashed up at his stable. This 
kind of steam all adds greatly to the suffering of the 
horse. 

One Sundav, while working in my garden, there had 
been more than usual of this kind of business going 
on, which seemed to come from np-town. There 
must be a fountain, it occuired to nic, up there where 
all this corruption has its I'isc. It all seems to come 
from one source. But I have got all I can attend to 
working and experimenting, and if they will let me 
alone I will tiiem. I can only fight on the defensive. 
There are too many balanced over the wrong way for 
me here. I shall, in order to carry out my plans, keep 
as quiet as possible. It seems to be going rather 
smooth now. I think they have made up their minds 
to let me go on in peace. 

After hoeing in my garden all day Sunday (I 
thouizht \i was Sundiiv, and others told me it was), I 
asked several thrcmgh the course of the day, and my 
wife said it was. From what I could see going on all 
around me I could not tell. To look at the day it 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 187 

seemed like all others tome; and I am so forgetful that 
if there had not been somebody to ask I should have lost 
track of this day. The canal was close to my house, 
and the boats and street cars were running. This was a 
gi-eat place for cars in tliis valley. I could hear the 
locomotives blowinix their bustles, and the music came 
from all directions. I could hear them many miles 
away, talking with each other, at all times of day and 
night. I could hear and see this without stopping my 
work. 

I had my sleeves rolled up, vest and coat off. It 
was a wai-m day. My garden was quite large. There 
was six large village lots all in one garden. It lay 
close to this great thoroughfare. The Sunday did 
seem to me to be the most business day I had F^een in 
a long time. All seemed to be in motion — all life and 
action. I did stop and rest on my hoe and take a 
telescopic view of what was passing. The streets 
were full of horses, some running, some trotting, or 
trying to; some limping at one end and some at 
both; som.e stiff; in fact, the}^ were in all stages of 
deformity. I could see I attracted quite a little 
attention. They stared at me ; that is, some did, such 
as had sense enough left to do this. They could not 
stare long at a time. If they did they would be in 
danger of a smash-up. There were lots of machines 
running on this street without governors, and they did 
not always run on a straight line. When a man got 
on this road, if he did not attend strictly to business, 
there was danger of sliipwreck. Milk wagons w(.M'e 
running morning and evening; some stdling it bv the 
quart and half pint, some taking it to the creamery, 



188 THE horse's rescue. 

some to the cheese factory, and selling it. The birds 
were singing, the street cars were making extra trips. 
They left Horseheads every fifteen minutes for El- 
mira ; the same coming to Horseheads. It was a sorry 
day for these poor, crippled, and deformed horses. 
Street cars off the track; men jerking the horses on 
the mouth, jamming them back, yelling, "Wiion, 
damn you!" every half-minute, the horses at the time 
standing as still as they could. Some had all they 
cpald do to stand, and were almost ready to fall over 
backward. Some, unable to stand, did fall, and yet 
they were obliged to do extra labor on this day called 
Sunday. It did seem to me they were all let loose on 
these poor horses this day. Some of them were run 
from morning until morning again. 

There was all kinds of music, pianos, organs, vio- 
lins, and I actually heard roosters crow, on this day, 
on the backside of my lot. I saw the water run in 
the creek. I did not see it stop and pile up in heaps. 
There were fish in this water, and they were constantly 
in motion. 

Reader, when I bought this place I intended to or- 
nament up this ground and fix up a pleasant home. 
There was a large, lively stream of living, sparkling 
water on the backside. When I bought this property 
I thought it was in a sightly place. In this I was not 
disappointed. I could see too much, and the sights 
did not suit me. I saw too much cruelty and abuse 
practiced on the helpless horse, and it made a hell for 
me. I gave up fixing up the place, and this was the 
cause of my moving. 

On the day following this red-hot day of abusing 



THE horse's rescue. 189 

tliese deformed horses I was on my way to my shop. 
Reader, I was loaded to the muzzle. It would not 
take much to touch me off. I was the horse's sworn 
friend, and always had been through life. Right in 
front of Bob Col well's place of business, the boss of 
this town at that time, I met Jack Racker, the cat's- 
paw general of all the dirty work that was to be done. 
He said to me, "Doan, they are going for you." 

'' What have I been doing now, and who is ' they ' 
this time ?" 

"The authorities of the town." 

'* Bob Colwell, what is the charges ?" 

" Well, I sat up-stairs in my house writing for the 
paper, and I could see you hoeing in your garden all 
day. They are going to arrest you for violating the 
Sunday laws." 

" My, my ! did you write about me ?" 

"No." 

*' You should have done so ; it would help fill up 
the paper." 

" I told them you would be the first man up here 
Monday morning after working all day Sunday in 
your garden." 

" You told a lie ; there were lots of folks here when 
I came. Jack, what do you think it will cost me?" 

•'I can't tell you." 

"Tell that great business personage 'They,' you 
quote so much, that I will pay all the fine they can 
get against me, and I will double it if they will let me 
lay it out." 

"What would you do with it?" 

" I would give it to some poor widow woman that 



190 THE horse's rescue. 

was trying to support herself and lier children. Not 
one cent will I ever pay to any authority in this town 
or in any other for the use of this day you call Sun- 
day, for this personage you cull 'They ' to convert to 
his or their own use; but I do intend to have a lot in- 
dicted before the grand jury for violating the license 
law on all days, at the next court, if they do not stop 
drugging these poor fools, causing them to kill them- 
selves and others, and misuse and kill and cause to 
be killed their helpless horses, and endanger innocent 
parties, and place the lives of children and all living 
things in jeopardy. And this is not all ; it is very an- 
noying to me when I am at work on Sunday. If it is 
not stopped soon I shall appeal to tho courts." 

Tins lecture was delivered in front of the olTice of 
the boss of the town. Let us go on to the shop. 
There will be a lot of cripples waiting. That racket 
is stopped. I wonder what will come next. 

Keader, T suppose j'ou want to know how the old 
white mare gets along. It has been four weeks since 
she had her feet spread. The same shoes have been 
on all that time. She has been driven every night in 
some b3'-road. She is not lame, and is growing fat — 
improving slowly. She must have her feet dressed 
and spread again. Her feet do not dry up now, and 
there is not much fever in them. I cupped out her 
feet and pared the shell properly for tins spreading 
operation. It is the same proces . It is by degiccs I 
am doing this. It could not be done on this mare all 
at once, she was so badly rolled up, I closed up the 
shoes, nailed them on, soaked the feet soft, and spiead 
them one-quarter of an inch again. That let the sole 



THE horse's rescue. 191 

dc^vn ns far as I wanted it. In all I have spread this 
rnurc's feet one inch and three-eighths at different 

o 

time?, and yet it is not more than fiv'e-eigliths of an 
iiieh wider than it was before I spread it at all. Every 
time I spread this okl mare's feet it threw her off of 
her base on both feet and lamed her on this same foot 
that she was lamest on when I bought her. She was 
lame on both, and had been for many years. This 
time she was not so lame on this foot, and recovered 
sooner from tlie effects of tlie ciiangc. As she pro* 
gressed towani natural by degrees she was easier to 
get on her base ; the time lessened, and the effects les- 
soned by degrees the nearer she approached natural. 
This is encouraging, certainly. She does improve 
slowly; her shoulders are not mates; she is very 
crooked yet, and both badly deformed. She does not 
look like the same horse now I have cha:iired her: 
this is certain, and the cause is removed. This lonsr- 
standing effect around these shoulders is stubborn and 
tough. I know the bones are not broken ; all else 
will yield by degrees, bat it must be slow. It has 
yielded a little now ; and if it has 3MeldGd a little it 
will yield a little more. This is the way I reasoned 
with myself in the cold barn many cold winter nights 
while others were sleeping or sitting by comfortable 
fires. Days I was in my shop doing all I could to re- 
lieve the suffei-ing of horses for thp same men that 
were fighting me their level best in many wavs. Some 
of tliem were poor dupes, which I well knew, set on 
and made so by a jealous, ignorant set of pretenders of 
great knowledge of the horse. I v;ell knew I could 
out general them working on the horse. A man did 



192 THE horse's rescue. 

not have to know much about the horse in this town 
to do that. In this town, where they worried so much 
about mj spending my money and so much time, I 
was obliged to sue two men after waiting one 3^ear for 
my pay for shoeing their horses. One of these men 
lived in a house that cost forty-five thousand dollars. 
Bragging all the time about their wealth ; I never 
heard them brag about their knowledge. The fact is, 
ihey did not have much of that. That was a scarce 
article on the horse in this town. I want to ask these 
men who this time belongs to, and how much money 
they have got invested in time. Seme folks talk and 
act as though time belonged to them, and they wanted 
to monopolize it and convert it all to their own use, 
as they have many things. I have used as much 
time, probably, as any man of my age, and others 
have used it, and yet there seems to be lots of it left. 
Some use time in oneway, some in another. It is used 
in manj^ ways. Some use it fighting against their own 
interest and others' at the same time, and do not know 
it; and that was what the ignorant part of this com- 
munity was doing in this town for two years fightmg 
me. I suppose they will fight this work if they ever 
see it. Then they will be fighting against their inter- 
est. It will not hurt the sale of this work ; it will 
help it to sell. It will call the peoples' attention to 
see what all this racket is about. That was what I 
got up so much racket in your town for, to get the 
people's attention attracted to me. I wanted to teach 
them something about the horse. I well knew they 
did not know but little about this great science of 
working on the horse. After this science is under 



THE horse's rescue. 193 

stood, the long lists of names laid down in books for 
effect will be buried with many other dead and useless 
names and things of the past There will be no effect 
to name. Men lose money and their hcrses toa If 
there is a waj to prevent it, and they know it to be a 
fact, they will grasp it very quickly. All they want 
is to know that this is a success (and it is, and all of 
the howling and bawling of these effect doctors will 
not make it otherwise). 

After working in this town, with no one to help me 
but my littlo' boy and my wife, I thought I would 
teach a young man. He had worked at blacksmith- 
ing a short time, and was trying to learn how to shoe 
and work on the horse. This horse business requires 
two good, able-bodied men at least part of the time — 
one to hold up the feet while the other spreads them. 
Sometimes he is obliged to hold up more than half of 
the horse's weight. It takes some strength and cour- 
age to tackle all kinds of horses in this way, and yet 
it must be done if these horses that ai^ in this fix are 
ever to get out of it. This young man saw me do this 
and helped me some, and yet he did not have confi- 
dence enough in himself to do it He could not stand 
the opposition we were surrounded with. It did not take 
much to cram him down. I soon saw he would not 
make a good soldier in this horse fight He dared not 
come right out and talk. He was shy. He dared not 
get up a racket He could not stand that I soon 
saw he would be of little use to me. I wanted fear- 
less men to introduce this science ; no coward could 
do it The horse he must not fear ; he must drive and 
handle him in many ways, and all strange horses. Ail 



194 THE horse's rescue. 

of the time be was too weak on his knees. I dropped 
him. Til about one year I went in his shop. He was 
si 1 oe i n g h o rses. T he w^o rk 1 1 e was d o i n g 1 oo k ed vj th e r 
ragged. He told me, '' This is the way I am doing it 
now." 

He was driving in old stubs in the old holes, with 
the lever all left on the toe, and growing longer all of 
the time. I said to him: 

" This is not right ; the horse is the sufferer. Your 
customers will go back on you." 

" Thev do not know tlie diffei-ence," sxiid he. 

In tliat he was partly right. Some do know when 
they have got a job that looks well. This ironing a 
horse's foot is quite a different thing, if botched, from 
other mechanical work. It causes the horse to suffer. 
A man can botch a job on a wagon, and yet the wagon 
does not suffer. I liave seen and lieardsome groan as 
if they feel ]>ain. The cause was a botch job, and it 
caused the horses to suffer that was drawing these 
wagons. To set the tire too tight on the lumber 
wagon dishes the vrheels one inch each too much. 
What effect can that have on these deformed horses? 
Put on forty hundred weight on rutty roads, then you 
can tell. If the wheel runs in the rut at all it con- 
stantly crowds and grinds against the shoulder of the 
axle This causes the horse to suffer. I have had 
many of these new-born babes on the horse try to talk 
and lie me down to build themselves up. 

I shall state here I know the horse's conditio]) has 
arewn worse for the laat twenty-five years, and for 
several reasons. Since shoes for the horse, and nails 
to nail them on, have been made bv machinerv, the 



THE horse's rescue. 195 

shoer, as soon as he can learn to weld on a cork on the 
toe i:i a bungling way, buys some stock and sets up 
the business of slaughtering the horse. He works on 
no principle, either right or wrong. He brags, and his 
friends brag for him, and they know less, if it is pos- 
sible, than horses. He is safe enough if they all get 
crippled on his hands. The creator has made such a 
botch of making the horse, he can't eat or drink water. 
^.11 kinds of grain will make him stiff or lame in all 
degrees, some on one foot, some on two, some on all, 
in all degrees, and 3^et he must eat or he will die. In 
some places they are nailing on cast shoes. In this 
case the foot must be cut to fit the shoe. 

Of all the damned fools that I ever heard talk, the 
biggest is men that claim that horses are stiffened by 
what they eat or drink. Tliere are so many degrees 
on the same horses, and on the same horse ; and these 
men gather around me in herds almost daily, teaching 
me these wonderful truths they claim to know, and all 
driving stiff and lame horses in some degree. If 
what they say is true, they are a careless, ignorant lot 
of fools, and their talk bears witness against them- 
selves, and it needs no other proof, for their horses are 
enough to condemn them. They are nearly all crip- 
pled in a greater or less degree. That needs no proof. 
It crops out all over the land in bold relief ; and if 
these horses are stiffened by grain and water, why do 
they scurf the shoer so much for spoiling their horses 
and run to him to get them cured — the same place 
where they get them spoilt? It is curious how many 
tunes can be played on one of these lying bugles when 
some men get to blowing them. 



196 THE horse's rescue. 

Thsre are many animals that eat grain, but none are 
stiff and lame like the horse and mule. All animals 
drink water, and it does not affect any but these two 
species in this way. How is this, you wonderfully 
knowing men ? I should think you would appeal to 
the creator to have an improvement made on these two 
species of animals. According to your reasoning, 
there is something wrong in their construction, or you 
should use more reason and judgment about feeding 
grain and giving them water, knowing, as you chiim, 
so much about the cause of all this. Suppose you 
experiment a little and stop giving your horses grain 
and water, or a very little, and keep their feet ironed, 
and that by a botch ; you can tell soon where the 
cause is. They feed all kinds of cattle, young and 
old, the strongest kind, and they are tied up and have 
but little exercise ; yet they do not get stiff by auy- 
thing they eat and drink. The ox is kept shod in 
many places the whole year round, and fed grain, and 
heavy too, and I have seen them when warm diink a 
half-barrel of Water at once, and have shoes on at the 
same time, and not get stiff. My father lived among 
the rough hills of the state of Pennsylvania. He 
kept them, shod and fed them, an J yet I never saw 
him have a stiff or sprained ox. He worked these 
oxen. The ox's foot is split; the shoe is in two 
parts, and there is no contraction. The lever does get 
long. It does not effect the ox as it does the horse. 
The lever on the ox's foot does not extend beyond the 
useless growth of the hoof. On the horse it is very 
different. 

After I get this work from the press I am ready to 



THE horse's rescue. 197 

go to school to these great teachers to see what great 
discoveries they have made on the horse Some have 
never been out of the town in which they were born. 
If they can tell me how and on what theory or plan 
they obtained so much knowledge of the liorse's foot 
and the cause tliat threw him in this deformed condi- 
tion, without any experience or experimenting, they 
willf'onfer on me a great favor. They can make their 
independent fortune out of that. It will do away 
with exDerimentino; on all thins^s, and save a vast 
amount of useless labor. Tliis is the way all great 
things have been perfected. It will save mental taxa- <^ -*« 
tion. I wish I had known this new theory forty-one 
years ago ; my back and hips and shoulders would not 
ache so while I am writing this work. I have heard 
in my life folks talk about using common sense. How 
plenty that article is I know not. There is not much 
used for the benefit of the horse, that I know. The 
article of reason, talking, and working on the horse is 
almost out of use. Judgment, there is lots of that of 
all kinds. There is all degrees of it. They all differ 
using judgment. There is good and poor judgment 
used on the horse. Of that article ninety per cent 
used is very poor. Useless opinions and beliefs are 
used by the wholesale. Still the horse suffers. Igno- 
rant men have the impudence to tell me I cannot cnre 
these horses, and never did. Any one would think, to 
hear them talk, they knew all things, and were in all 
places at the same time. ISTow I want these poor fools 
to tell me how they know I cannot cure these horses. 
They are in one place drawing manure, w^hich they 
can do after somebody has made the wagon to draw it 



198 THE horse's rescue. 

on ; that tbev could not make. I am hundreds of 
miles away curing these horses. I could do this in a 
small village and they be ignorant of the fact It 
might be put in print in the daily papers, and such 
itrnoramuses as these never know it. Tliev seldom, if 
ever, read ; and j^et I have had nearly all of my abuse 
from this source. To get drunk on what they call 
whisky is the bight of their ambition. The next is to 
abuse and misuse these helpless horses in many ways. 
Reader, if 3^ou ever try to introduce this science, my 
experience has taught me from such to turn away. 
They cannot take in this great science; they only 
fieht; you cannot teach them. The higher always 
teach the lower. You cannot get tea^'hers from the 
lower to teach the higher; that would be too much 
like spreading the hoi'se's foot at the toe or at the top. 
You must select naturalists and scientific men — men 
of brains, men whose word is good, not liars. I have 
studied man some in the same time I have been study- 
tlie horse. There are men that can and do lie, and it 
is wonderful how they will multiply. Liars are very 
prolific. If one big liar should tell lies out of whole 
cloth before six or eight bearers of lies, it is surpris- 
ing wliat a crop you will have in a short time, and 
how they will multipl}^, and what a field they will 
spread over. They are borne in papers, on the tele- 
graph, and' telephone, in the mail, and across the ocean 
and under it. I speak of this for this reason, to post 
vou up. All this I have had to contend with in try- 
ing to |)erfect this work and trying to introduce it. 
Before I get through I will show you where I experi- 
mented a little on this lying business. The lying fruit 



THE horse's rescue. 199 

some are very fond of. They can masticate and swal- 
low and digest this easy. They seem to relisli it, too. 
No matter how hirire this fruit is, tliev can swallow it, 
and some have swallowed so much of it that it is 
almost impossible to get them to taste the truth. It 
is surprisitig how full some folks will allow themsehes 
to be stuffed with lies. Why do you not investigate 
for yourselves, and go for facts and see them demon- 
strated? and then you will know these lies are only 
told to deceive you by men that want to keep up this 
torturing business on your poor, suffering horses, and 
put down this great science. They are badly scared; 
their craft is in danger of being wrecked, and they do 
not like to be made out worse than fools. When this 
science is introduced. they will feel exceedingly small. 
Tiiis is certain; it is and has been almost a daily oc- 
currence for manj^ yeai's to liav a lot of teachers 
nather around me, all talkinsi: horse, all talkinir at the 
same time, all directing their lesson to me. 

Since I have commenced writing^ this work several 
have told me they were going to write a book on the 
horse. I told them if they wanted to I had no objec- 
tions. "That is all ]-ight," said I. "You maj^ know 
many things about the horse that I do not. Your 
book would perhaps sell as well as mine. You have 
as good a right to make books and sell them as any 
man." But they would have to write different from 
what they talk in order for the reader to understand 
what tliev wanted to convey. If these bor)ks ever <iu 
come out 1 will com])ile them. Then you will have 
the best guide to cure these lame and deformed horses 
that ever came from a press. I have tried to learn 



200 THE horse's rescue, 

tliese lessons so I could talk them. I maj give a 
short ]ect\ire that I have learned from these teachers 
after I g-et this work O'Ut. I can talk it bettei than I 
can write it. It is very complicated. It requires 
quite an expert to talk eight or nine n>en's lessons and 
carry them all alangat the same time^and all disagree- 
ing on all points, opinions, and beliefs. The more a 
man believes the less he knows. The more he knows 
the less he believes. A man that is satisfied with what 
he has got of knowledge is never prepared for any 
more. 

I have no power to convey with my pen these horse 
lessons that I have had. I think after taking five or 
six hundred more I will be able to talk it. I am going 
to try to learn them. If I can learn to talk nine men's 
talk at one time on the horse, that will be a big thing. 

It has been now one month since you have heard 
from the old white mare. It has been all of this long 
month the same thing — continued talking, shoeing^ 
and working on all kinds of lame and crippled horses^ 
early and late, sometimes all night. These few horses 
that I write about are only now and then one of thou- 
sands I have worked on in forty-one years. This 
fight for the horse has been a long one, and it is not 
over yet. We are just getting in the hottest of it now^ 
but the hotter the battle the more glorious the victory 
— for that we are going to have. It has got started, 
jind it cannot be stopped. Too many have seen this 
work done — scientific men, which I shall refer to be- 
fore I get through this work. 

This old mare is doing finely. She must have her 
feet dressed as before and spread a little. I did not 



THE hokse's rescue. 201 

measure lier shoe to see how mucli I did spread It. It 
needed but very little. The sole is the guide on all 
feet. I cannot furnish any reason, sense, or judgment 
in this work. I want all I have got for my own use. 
You must use your own on this work — all you can 
command— and use it all of the time in all cases. 
They all vary in many ways, as I have already written 
many times. 

I spread after this operation a little every ten or 
twelve or fifteen days, according to my best judgment. 
The object in doing this was to keep the structure of 
the foot always in harmony of action, and this coffin- 
joint and all others as r.ear their natural place as pos- 
sible all the time. So as to have her improve, I did 
not leave anything undone for one hour that I could 
do to forward this work I was trying so hard to do. I 
had got this mare's feet flattened out, and the growth 
not wearing off. The shoe nailed on to hold it spread 
would also hold it from spreading; at the same time, 
if the foot was allowed to grow on the course it is in- 
clined to grow and not spread, the sole would raise up 
in degrees according to the time it was held at the bot- 
tom. This would affect the coffin-joint and throw her 
off her base and affect her all over according to the 
degree of change from natural. I kept this mare and 
changed her shoes several times to keep the lever on 
the toe as short as I could, and spread her feet many 
times a little. You ought to see what I was spreading 
her feet for by small degrees. I kept up rubbing her 
shoulders often, and nights many hours at a time. I 
drove her nights. There was no let-up on this job for 
six months. Reader, imagine, if you can, my feelings, 



202 THE horse's rescue. 

v/bich I well know jou cannot, after all this bard work 
and no reward to perfect tbis work, to have a lot of 
ifinorant men insult you dail}^ and hourly. 1 can tell 
you how I feel sometimes, just like taking my flat 
hand and mutilating their bugle. They are not of 
much account. They will have to pass off of this 
earth as many have, and not take much with them. 
Knowledge is all they can take, and of that they will 
be a little short. What a man knows is all that makes 
him anything. What another knows does not help all 
others only such little as he can teach them ; and 
where there is no material to work on it is up-hill busi- 
ness. To make something out of nothing is a very 
difficult task. When talking horse and that kind of 
talk, which can be beard coming from me all days and 
in all places, I liave been called drunk by the ignorant. 
I never had any abuse from the enlightened part of the 
community. If they did not help me they did not in- 
sult me. I am about as fearless as the most of men, 
and yet I do have fear. I do not drink alcoholic 
drink of any kind for many reasons; one I will men- 
tion is this: I am afraid I will get killed by drugs of 
some kind. I am not afraid to die, but I do not want 
to fail to introduce this great science on the horse that 
1 have worked so many years to perfect. 

The last resort of the ignorant, if they cannot keep 
pace with others in this race of progression, is slan- 
der. Read the history of the past, imperfect as it is, 
and it will give you a little light — enough to open your 
eyes a little and put you on the right track. You can 
never learn this science or any other by fighting, h^- 
ing, and slandering other's. You may go well dressed, 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 208 

and yet it does not add to your knowledge. Wlien I 
work on horses my clothes do not please some, and yet 
I wear them all days. These horse needed my ca!-e. 
All days and nights I wore a strong pair of pants, a 
heavy woolen shirt. Suspenders I never could get to 
hold a horse ; pants with patches on the legs, three or 
four on top of each other, and if some were leather it 
is all the better; then a stout leather apron over all. 
It does save your knees and \e^^ some. And yet with 
all this protection I have had all stripped off clear to 
the floor, and some skin with it ; cords laid bare on my 
legs ; suspenders broken ; buttons nearly off, and pants 
too. In a shipwreck like this I usually used to use 
horse nails for suspender buttons. Sometimes I used 
them for weeks ; they would hold better. When I 
wanted some -stock, or five cent's worth of tobacco, I 
did not take these nails out or change my clothes, or 
wash. I walked in all places of business through the 
day, and night too. My business was working on the 
horse all hours, and I must be harnessed for it, and it 
has been so for forty-one years, I was slovenly and 
smelt bad, the result of wiping manure off of others' 
horses on myself and clothes daily that they should 
have cleaned off themselves. I have cleaned hun- 
dreds and thousands of horses in this way before I o-ot 
them shod, and when the horse left the shop he would 
be cleaner than he would be again from that time un- 
til he came to be shod again. Sometimes I would 
clean eight or ten in one day, and have the most of 
this filth and stench on myself or clothes, and be 
obliged to breathe and smell it all of the time. My 
God ! it is a great wonder I have not been stunk to 



204 THE hokse's rescue, 

death and rotted down by my blood getting bad by 
breathing this filth, all caused by people not keeping 
their horses and stables clean. Breathing this foul air 
in stables will make the blood of the horse irnpui'e 
faster than anything else can ; cattle the same. We 
all are judges, and all constantly judging each other. 
Some judge one way, some other wa3^s, and there are 
all degrees of judgment on all things. Others can 
judge as they like. I do. But I never judge a man's 
worth by the mone}'- or the wealth he has, neither by 
his wearing apparel. He might sit on a throne of 
solid, pure gold^ with a crown on his head that out- 
dazzled the brightness of the sun, and be clothed in 
roval robes that were decorated with costly diamonds 
that hung in festoons, with the costliest plumage, with 
a trail twenty feet long in the i-ear trimmed the same. 
All this would not have any effect on me in judging 
his worth. It would not add any to his worth or 
knowledge or goodness. A fool can be dressed in this 
way, and many have been. Such men as these can 
never cure these suffering horses. They like pomp 
and show too well, and what they call ease. I would 
rather be in some cold barn relieving the suffering of 
one horse than see all the pomp and show on the globe. 
Working men are what is required to cure and intro- 
duce this work. To pomp and show I never bow and 
scrape. Neither do I worship any man. A dead man 
would be of as much use to me to introduce this science 
as a sit-still. A king on a throne is about as useless 
as a dead man can be. Work and business is the plan 
of operation in this world. Live men are what make 
things move, and sometimes tliey move things some 



THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 205 

do not want moved ; and this work on the horse, if I 
mistake not, will remove some deep-rooted errors of 
longer standing than any stiff horse living at this day. 
The horse has suffered hundreds of years on this 
globe, all caused by error and ignorance, and many 
times dishonesty in many ways. I hear many times 
when I am talking for the horse, "He is a big blower." 
If I could not talk more sense than some of these 
blowers talk on the horse I would never open my 
mouth again. They know but little or nothing about 
the condition the horse is in. This I well know, and 
I will give my reasons for knowing. But very few 
ever have worked on the horse's feet^ and those that 
have did not do it right ; and all of these men that 
are bawling around me never worked on the horse's 
feet. How can they know anything about it with their 
horses all stiff? How can you know so much? It 
took me forty-one years almost, days and parts of 
nights, and many nights all night. Many and many 
are the nights I have lain in bed studying on this work 
until light, and not slept one wink Days and nights 
I have experimented. This work cost money, and I 
earned it all. It cost me forty -one years of the hard- 
est mental, physical, and practical labor a luan ever 
endured, and lots of persecution and abuse by jealous 
fools. 

I will say right here that when I get stuck on this 
liorse business I will send for some of these great 
teachers that have been trying to teach me so much. 
I will let them know when I want them. With all 
this hard labor I have stuff enough left in me now to 
face a regiment of such bawling fools. The^^ are of 



206 THE horse's bescue. 

no use to me ; neither are they in the way of intro- 
ducing this science, only one gets tired hearing their 
bawling. I have no trouble only with this class. This 
is the class all scientific men have more or less trouble 
with. Ii^norance is the cause of all. Tliere are mill- 
ions of men on this globe that never invented any- 
thing, and never had one original thought ; if they did, 
they did not have courasfe enous^h to talk or write it, 
and if all men had been as big cowards as they there 
would not have been any impi'ovements or discoveries 
or progression made ; and yet tliey will talk and brag 
of their knowledge, and it is all borrowed. It had its 
orisfin in other men's brains. They can commit to 
mem(.>ry some of these great principles after others 
have discovered and jierfected them by applying them- 
selves, and tliat seems a hard task. This horse science 
is different fi'oni many other sciences. It requires 
something besides brains, and yet brains are the first 
qualification. Without them there cannot be any 
horses cured. It requires great strength and courage, 
]"eso]ution and firmness. A man that is constantly 
twirling a handkerchief around a stove-pipe hat, and 
keeps one or two women constantly washing and iron- 
ing to keej) him starched and clean, and who finds 
fault with their work, and does none himself, would 
be of no use to any one in this horse science. Be- 
moving the cause of these suffering horses is harder 
work than it is to make them so; that is, shoeing 
them, which is what makes tiiem so. There are a few 
exceptions. I can iron a pair cf horse's feet, and drive 
them a thousand miles, and they would perform the 
journey better by doing so, and the}' would suffer 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 207 

from the effect but very little, if any, in the time I 
was driving them this journey. It would not be done 
in the way it usually is done and ordered to be done. 
To begin this job I should want the horse's feet all 
natural as the creator made them or intended them to 
be ; that is, the structure of the foot internally in hai'- 
mony of action. I would cut away all useless growth 
of hoof and true up the feet. This dressing the bot- 
tom of a horse's feet, heel and toe, if it is nearly nat- 
ural, is or should be the finest piece of mechanical 
work ever done on any machine. The horse is a ma- 
chine. If this dressing is not done nearly right you 
will spoil this machine, and not know how you did it. 
If you cut the heel too low, and leave the toe too high, 
if only one-eighth of an inch each, it will make the 
heel one-quarter too low, and leave the toe a quarter 
of an inch too long. Shoe all around in this way with 
bungling, heavy shoes; start on your journey with lit- 
tle changed off their base, your horses will tell you of 
it in this way ; if you will notice them, by showing 
soreness, if they are not very stiff and lame. This is 
not a very botched job compared with some. This 
same principle doubled will slaughter the best pair of 
horses, if the shoes are allowed to remain on two 
months, that ever lived, if they are driven on hard 
roads. I do not mean it would kill them ; it would 
make them stiff and sore until the cause was removed. 
It serves all the same, according to the degrees of 
botching, on all feet, singly or collectively. 

Now, reader, whoever you may be that is interested 
in tliis work on the horse enough to give your attef!- 
tion, I will try, as near as I can in this work, to tell 



208 THE horse's rescue, 

jou how I would shoe a pair of horses to perform a 
journey of a thousand miles, and what I would do 
after the journey. I cannot tell you as well as I could 
if you and I were standing by and looking on this pair 
of horses. They need a little dressing on all of their 
feet, some in one way, some in another, and they all 
vary in some way and in many degrees ; and all horses 
do more or less. True up ; do not forget this heel and 
toe business and lever on the toe ; it is growing all the 
time; it is not going to wear off much. It will take 
about a month, we will say, to make this journey. I 
am going to shoe these horses and drive and take care 
of them myself. (I would trust them in no man's 
hands.) Then I would know they were cared for. 
The colt's foot on the horses you are shoeing in shape 
is one thinor to look to. Shoe thin and liorht. After 
trueing up the feet let the shoes follow the shell clear 
around the heel ; shoe only a little longer at heel than 
the foot. Flat rest on shoe at the heel ; dress foot to 
fit and fit it. No spring in any way. Make the toe a 
little shorter than natural, for this reason, it is grow- 
ing all of the time, and this will save the cords. Not 
£U cork on these shoes, the roads are dry and hard. 
Nail with very small nails ; nail in toe ; no nails back 
of the widest part of the foot; the heel should have 
liberty, as all of the foot should, but it cannot if it is 
ironed. Every night, after driving all day on hard 
roads, the horse's feet will have unnatural heat. Do 
not forget your horses have got feet on their hind 
legs. But few have noticed this. They get hot too. 
They travel the same distance that his forward feet 
do, and the concussion is about the same. I carry a 



THE horse's rescue. 209 

foot hook, and clean out all dirt and gravel under the 
shoes, if there is any. I look to see, then I will know; 
pack all feet with cow manure; this takes out the un- 
natural heat. If I did not do this when the horses 
lie down after driving all day, this heat would dry up 
the foot or cause it to dry up. In this case, the weight 
being ofi the center, the sole would rise up. If it is 
only°a little degree, it effects when the horses rise on 
their feet. The weight will settle the sole again. It 
causes irritation. If they are packed this will not 
take place. In wet and muddy roads this would not 
be necessary. There would not be the concussion. 
The water and mud would take out the heat. This is 
the way some horses get very badly stiffened right 
after feeding and watering, by not taking care of their 
feet after hard drives. And if they did do all this, if 
they were botched ironing their feet, no packing or 
soaking would prevent until the cause was removed 
and kept removed. 

At the end of this journey I find my horses, with 
this care, as limber as they were when I first started. 
The shoes are about worn off their feet, and all nearly 
worn in two at the toe ; and some of the hoof at the 
toe is worn off. This is all right for me and the horses 
too. I wanted it to wear off; the lever has been 
growing all the time, and wearing off has shortened it. 
This takes t\\^ strain off the back tendons, and, with 
other care I take of them, keeps my horses from get- 
ting foundered. 

Remember, I told you before I shod these horse 
they were nearly natural. In this case the frog befoie 
shoeing on all of their feet rested on the grcMind. I 



2i0 THE horse's rescue. 

ymt on the shoes thin for several reasons ; one is this : I 
want the frog to rest on the ground. After I get these 
horses shod the same as before I nailed the shoes on. 
If I raise the center of the foot up from the ground the 
weis:ht of the horse is in the center of each foot. Then 
drive on hard, dry road. I could not drive five miles 
before the coifin-joint would be badly affected on all 
their feet all out of harmony of action. Put in motion 
in this condition causes unnatural heat. They would 
settle down through the cup at the top until the frog 
comes to a rest on the ground in the center. At the 
first start on this journey I would be all out of har- 
mony. I do not want these horses to change any, 
either way, if I can prevent it. This is the reason I 
dress the heel of the foot flat and give the shoe flat 
rest at the heel. I do not want any springing and 
changing internally on any of these eight feet on this 
pair of horses. The heel has some liberty as the feet 
grow. Shod in this way they will spread out, if 
proper care is taken of them, by small degrees, in 
driving them. If the frog does rest on the ground I 
am not smart enough to cure and keep cured stiS 
horses, they standing in the barn week after week. I 
drive horses to cure them and have them improve all 
of the time, and if they are natural I do my work to 
keep them natural. Another reason for not having 
corks on these shoes: they are of no use on dry roads. 
I do not want my horses up on stilts at any time. 
Another reason for having the shoes light : the horses 
will not raise their feet so high, the concussion on 
their feet is not so great, and the greatest reason of all 
is, it will not shipwreck me on the road and at home. 



THE horse's rescue. 211 

I told you I would tell you what I would do at the 
end of this journey with these horses, and here she 
goes. If I did not know more than some folks do 
about a horse I would pull off their shoes, if they did 
take cold, and never nail or allow any one else to, an 
iron on their feet. Then you would not stiffen so 
many, giving them something to eat and drink, and 
you would not cause your horses to suffer so much, 
and you would enjoy your ride after them better. 

Reader, it is impossible for me to tell all the fault I 
have had found with me and my work on one thing, 
that is, the toe-corks would wear off on horseshoes. 
They wanted big corks, and they wanted them to stay 
big. They wanted them sharp, and to always stay 
sharp. With all of my skill this I could not do. If I 
could have done this it would have been a bis^ thinof. I 
could give better satisfaction. I could have made horses 
stiffer, and they would get stiff faster, if I could stop 
the wear on the toe of the shoes. They tried hard to 
get me to do it. I have sent lots away on this ac- 
count. It is curious how hard folks will try to get you 
to spoil their horses. Then after j^ou have done it 
thej will tell far and near that you did it. Some they 
will tell they are foundered. They ate some oats or 
drank water. What do all these contradictory stories 
amount to ? Simply nothing. If they came from a 
lunatic, or some one that had lost his reason, a little 
consistency might appear, and some allowance be made. 
The fact is, the condition these poor horses are thrown 
in, caused by ironing their feet and other abuse^ is so 
complicated it is hard to convej^ with a pen or in any 
other way, and I get ver}' tired. Some are changed 



212 THE horse's rescue. 

very suddenly, some are years changing. These slow 
changes I cannot describe, except in this way : You 
cannot see them change; it is like the hill of corn. It 
grows and yet you cannot see it grow. The change on 
thousands of these horses is so slow you do not notice 
the effect until they get very bad, and yet they have 
been changing for many years. The degrees are very 
small on some, and the degrees of change vary on the 
same foot. These variations depend on the treatment 
the foot or feet have had. They will vary on every 
foot on the same horse. This is the way some change 
from natural. Some will change in a large degree in 
twenty-four hours, from many causes. 

This old white mare is one of these cases. The 
first cause was ignorance. The driver did not know 
much about a horse; if he had he would not have 
abused her by driving her off her legs' on hard roads. 
The concussion on her feet caused heat. The struc- 
ture of the foot at the start was out of harmony in 
some degree, as all are that have been shod for several 
years, as she had been. The lever at the toe was 
some degree of length, as all are, out of harmony ; 
then kept in motion up and down hills, on dry, hard 
roads, for twenty-four hours, and drawing a load. 
This will cause some heat internally in the foot, a 
strain on the cords or back tendons. This mare was 
used badly. The owner well knew this. She must 
have rest. She is tied in the barn, no care taken of 
her feet, for this reason: he did not know it was 
necessary. This mystery he had not solved. She is 
sore and stiff. She must not be moved until she gets 
better. The consequence is, when she lies down the 



THE HORSES BESCUE. 213 

weight off the center of foot, with all this heat in her 
feet, the foot dries very fast. When it starts on this 
course the sole rises ; the heat increases the more the 
foot contracts, and in a very short time the horse ia 
completely thrown off his base and balance and 
equilibrium, and fastened there, and there he will stay 
until the cause is removed. This is a large degree of 
change, and rather sudden for the comfort of the horse 
and his owner. I have seen hundreds of horses made 
very stiff in driving twenty miles on hard roads with 
a botched job on the end of the foot called the toe. 
Do not get too wise. You may learn something. All 
horses are in great danger of being served in this way, 
and many times worse, by ironing their feet, all super- 
intending and bossing this great science and none 
knowing but very little or nothing about it. The 
horse is the sufferer, and the owner suffers too. If he 
does not suffer with pain he-suffers loss in many ways. 
He pays his money to have his horses spoiled. He 
loses money in this way. It takes more feed to keep 
a horse that is a constant sufferer night and day. 
They cannot perform as much labor in any way, and 
it shortens their lives. If you start on a journey it 
will take you longer. You are liable to get ship- 
wrecked at any time by not understanding this 
science. If you change or trade while on the road, or 
at home, this will not help you out. You will be 
liable to get wrecked from the same cause in a short 
time. I have helped thousands out of this trouble in 
my life. For many reasons I know this is not under- 
stood. The only way out of this trouble is to learn 
these truths, every man for himself ; then you. will 



214 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

know this is the only safety. You cannot learn mucli 
from " They Say." He does not know much about 
the horse. 

I must tell you how I got the worst wrecked on the 
lioad I ever was in my life in many ways. Some was 
due to listening to " They Say," some to a sneak thief, 
some to not using reason and judgment after my 
judgment told me better. I was twenty-eight years 
old at that time. I carried on the wagon trade con- 
nected with shoeing the horse. My market for some 
of these wagons was in Tioga county, Pennsylvania. 
The distance from my place, where I carried on this 
business at that time, was about one hundred miles. 
It was up and down heavy hills nearly all the way. 
I knew the road well. I had taken wagons over this 
road and driven horses. This is the way I nearly 
always went for many years before and after this trip 
on this business and other. I have business there 
now, and have had every year since I was twenty-one 
years old, sometimes twice a year, seldom driving the 
same horse or horses. When I would get home I 
would sail after these horses about three hundred 
miles or more, and not be missed at home except by a 
few, and sail in all right, no wreck on the horse. The 
horses were fitted for this journey in many ways. The 
last thing I did was to prepare their feet, and that was 
the last thing I did to them every night, to see that 
they were all right, while I was making up this train 
to go over this road. There were ten in all. I had 
ironed a heavy wagon for one of my neighbors. The 
wheels were in the shop. This man came in. He had 
a kettle in his hand and a lot of rosin. " They say," 



THE hoksk's rkscub. 215 

said he, *' that this is good to prevent the spokes from 
■working. Melt it and pour it in hot, and roll the 
wheel around. It will run up in the spokes and coat 
the hub over on the inside. Tiiat will keep the 
grease from g:oing up into the spokes, causing the 
spokes to work." 

He fixed his in this way. I, fool-like, without even 
thinking, fixed all of my wagons the same. These 
wagons were made up in two trains. My team was at 
that time a small pony team, a stallion and a mare. I 
drove tiiem together. They were hardy, well fed, and 
had had plenty of , exercise. They were good ones, 
tough and young. On the rear of these trains must 
be a sulky and second hand wagon to return in. 
There was a man who wanted to go with his team for 
t))e })ay and to see the country. He never had been 
over this road. I told him it was a hard trip. '' I 
tiiink your learn," said I, "taken up out of the pas- 
ture, will give out. They are old, too, and it is hot 
weather in July." 

He said they could stand it. I yielded, and told 
him he must have his horses' feet dressed up for this 
trip. This I did for him. The wagons were all 
wooden axled, and must all be greased. When I 
commenced to do this I soon began to do some big 
thinking. The rosin had got on the boxes, and when 
I put on the wheel and turned it, it would powder up, 
no matter how small the quantity. It would set the 
wheel ! I scraped and dug all off that I could, but I 
could not get it off. "I shall have trouble from this 
rosin business," thought I. "It will crumble off and 
wreck this traiii, just as sure as it moves." I greased 



216 THE horse's bescue. 

up, and hung a big pail of grease on the hind end of 
the wagon. The hist job I did preparatory to this 
sail was to shoe and dress up my horses' feet the day 
before starting, put them in their stable, and gave 
them a good, soft bed. I had a young man at work 
for me in the shop ; the two first letters of his name 
were Clark Cheeny. In the morning, while I was 
harnessing my horses, this 3^oung man came to the 
barn with the shoeing tools. I had not looked at my 
horses' feet I had just shod them, and I did not 
know they had been out of the stable. What's up? 
I drove the mare a little ways last night and she tore 
oflt a shoe. This was sometliing she had never done 
before. The shoe was nailed, and the nails put in the 
same holes. I stood all this and more. If ever a 
man deserved damning and kicking he was one. 
After I returned from this trip I tracked up this sneak 
to see how far he drove the mare that night. I tracked 
him thirty miles. How much farther he lamed her 
that night I know not. So much for a sneak thief. I 
started on this hard trip, not in the best of humor, 
on account of my mare having been driven all night, 
and I being oblige to drive her all day. 

I had sailed only a few miles before I heard some 
of the biggest bugling I ever heard from wagons ; 
nearly all were playing, and all playing different 
tunes — ail caused by listenhig to what "They Say," 
says without thinking. The horses had all they could 
do to draw the wagons on level roads. Going on in 
this way for a short time, some of the wheels refused 
to turn, and slid on the ground. This will not do; it 
will kill the horses and spoil the wagons. This is a 



THE HORSES RESCUE, 217 

nice shipwreck, and only three miles sail. Well, there 
is no other way except rig up and remove all the 
cause I can and sail on. It is no small job to take off 
forty wheels and clean off all this grease and rosin on 
the arms and in the hubs, and yet it is the only way 
out of this trouble. I suppose I shall have to learn 
by experience like all other heedless fools. I think 
when I put any more rosin in wagon hubs "They 
Say " will know it. This is the way I reasoned with 
myself. It was too late to use judgment and sense 
on this job. The wreck had already happened. 

After greasing up, I set sail again. It was down 
hill for a few miles, to Lake Cayuga> I crossed this 
lake on a ferry-boat. It was small, and we had to 
make two trips to get all over. It had rained hard all 
the night before, and the roads were somewhat muddy 
and slippery. There was no way out of this small 
town except to climb a lx)ng, steep, muddy clay hill, 
but it must be done. 

After the wagons had stood a while it was almost 
impossible for the horses to start them. The rosin 
had crumbled off and ground up with the grease, and 
I must say it is the poorest axle grease I ever had on 
a wagon. I took the lead with my train and suc- 
ceeded in getting it about a mile up this hill. After 
waiting a long time I saw the other train coming with 
only one wagon. 

" Beach," said I, " What's the racket now ? " 
"The horses could not draw all of the train. I 
commenced to drop off some and this is all I could get 
up with. That rosin has set the wheels on some. 
They are scattered all along down the hill." 



218 THE horse's rescue. 

" Leave your team," said I. " I will take mine and 
we will repair and make up that train again." 

After greasing and cleaning off rosin, I sailed them 
np to the other train. We were not to the summit 
yet ; that was two miles farther. After i-igging up we 
set sail again. These wagons soon commenced to yell 
again. The grease was all gone and there was no place 
near to get any. 

•'"Well, Beach, they will have to yell until we get 
where we can get some grease ; this darn rosin busi- 
ness is the biggest eye-opener I have had in some 
time." 

We doubled teams and drew them up hills, then 
each would take his train. The horses could draw 
them down hill unless his train had too many wheels 
get set at one time. 

'*Il is hot, Beach ; these horses must rest, and these 
wagons must all be rosined off again and greased. I 
am going to try the farmers and see if I can get some 
lard and a little flour to put with it. They may not 
want to spare as much as I want ; it will t:»ke quite a 
loo. Beach, to grease all of these wagons, and we want 
some left in case some wheels should get set again. 
We must stop pulling these horses so or we will kill 
them all this hot weather. I see my mare favors one 
of her forward legs or feet. She must have hui-t her 
shoulder pulling up that first hill. I can't tell." 

We had anchored on level gi-ound; the mud was 
about two inches deep here, sticky clay. Tlie wlu'els 
were all loaded. I went to a farmer's house and 
asked them to sell me some lard and flour. 

"How much lard do you want?" 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 219 

''I would like twenty or twenty-five pounds." 

'' Oh, we can hardly spare as much as that." 

I told the lady my story about the wreck. 

"I will pay vou double price if you have srot it." 

I got the lard and repaired up again. After a few 
hours' wallowing around in mud, grease, and rosin, 
these wagons were getting play very fast by friction. 
That lielped the horses some. The w^agons did not 
receive much benefit. They ran better after this last 
treatment, as the yelling gradually subsided. 

There was another storm gradual!}^ arising. I had 
been watching that. If it kept on increasing it would 
completely shipwreck this train. This is the propell- 
ing power. In many ways the mare was getting lamer 
by degiees. I could not see the cause in the foot; 
the shoulder did not swell; that looked all right. 

'* Beach," I said, "We must anchor. These poor 
horses look tired." 

"It is not night yet." 

"ISTo matter, they must have rest." 

I did not rest much myself; I could see danger 
ahead. It was not on account of loss or lack of mo- 
ney to see me through ; I had about five hundred dol- 
lars in my pocket. This article I have found, when 
travelling, to be the best friend I ever had, and I never 
intended to get out of it if I could possibly help it. 
That would be the worst wreck I could make. What 
worried me was, I did not want to wreck this train, of 
which I was conductor. After stabling the horses, 
this rosin business had to be looked to on forty 
wheels. The yelling had quieted down. They had 
worn and cut so they would not got set; but there 



220 THE horse's rescue. 

was great danger of their cutting and wearing at lout 
befoi-e I got them to market, caused by tliis rosin 
crumbling off and grinding np and setting some of the 
wheels to cutting. At any time and all of the time, if 
I could have got that old liar " They Say " by the 
nape of the neck I would have made him yell for a 
while, louder than these wagons did. 

Beach fed the horses. I heard a racket in the barn, 
and I went to see what was up. I found Beach there, 
one oC his horses, the oldest, choking, reeling, and 
about to fall. She was so old she could not masticate 
oats. She had been trying to swallow them without 
chewing, and had got choked. She succeeded in 
throwing them out of her throat and recovered. I did 
not know she was so old that she could not eat oats, 
until then. 

'' There is another danger to be looked to, Beach; 
that mare ought to be fed ground feed. This feed does 
not do her any good." 

*' Ob, she will go it. I have seen her in that fix 
often." 

In the morning we started this train on a new plan. 
This was, to move slow. Motion creates heat. All is 
out of harmony. The propelling power is not fit to 
run. When any of these wheels get to yelling we 
must stop and rosin and grease them. If this is not 
done some of these wagons will be spoiled. The 
skeins and boxes will be cut all out. 

In making up this train the stallion came out head 
up, full of life, ready for business; the mare was lame. 
Beach's team looked shrunken ; heads down. We 
moved on slowly, stopping often through the day. 



THE horse's rescue. • 221 

Whe-n any of the wheels set up their yell we removed 
the cause. The lameness increased in my mare a lit- 
tle through the day. I could not see the cause. I 
well knew it was no nails that held the shoe on. She 
was vounsf. She had a coil's foot on her, and a irood 
one. 

"Beach, here is a hotel,'" said I. "The sun is two 
hour's high. We must stop here for the night. Switch 
oS beside the road. We will drop these trains. These 
horses are all very tired, and we will not kill them, if 
it takes all summer to get this train through." 

" Doan," replied Beach, "I don't like the looks of 
things here. Why, look at the sign ; it is all daubed 
and smeared over with something. Look over the 
door; that is all daubed." 

"Nevermind that," I rejoined. "I am going to 
anchor here for the night. It is a half day's drive to 
the next port for our horses with this train. It would 
be likely to kill some of the horses to make it to-night. 
Unhook ; let us get the horses in the barn and have 
a rest." 

All seemed very quiet around the barn and house. 
The landlord was asleep on a lounge, but he roused 
up and showed us where to put our horses. After 
this was done I saw him get a heavy log chain and 
pad-lock and go out to the wagons. He locked two 
wagons together on one of these trains. I asked him 
what he did it for. He said : " To keep folks from 
stealing them." 

"I think there is not muoh danger of that," said I. 
"They can get all the wagons they want now. There 
are some that are not locked. They can take them. 



222 THE horse's rescuk 

Beach, this man is a trifle too honest. I think it will 
be well enough to watch him." 

We cared for the horses, making them as comforta- 
ble as our surroundings and circumstances would let 
us Tliis landlord watched for an opportunity to 
draw out Beach. He hgid noticed I was conductor of 
this train by hearing us talk, lie inquired about my 
circumstances financially in a round-about way. After 
conversing a short time he asked Beach if I carried 
much money with me. Beach told him: "Enough 
to defray expenses." This was- an eye-opener for 
Beach. He. did not sleep any that nigiit. He said to 
me: "There is something rotten hei'c, Doan." Beach 
was a man not easily discoui'aged and no coward, but 
he did not like the surroundings. 

Night came, and we went to bed ; that is, w^e pre- 
tended to. There was no sleep. Beach's head was 
out of the window all night. The racket commenced 
about eleven o'clock, by the baiking of dogs, five or 
six at one time. This was kept up all night, caused 
by comei's and goers. They seemed to be on hrrse- 
back. The landlord was up prowling around, and the 
visitors had business in and out of the barn all night. 
Beach was on the watch. He was where he could see 
them come and go from the barn. He yelled at some 
of them during the night. This hotel, I may say here, 
was not in a village. It was in a country place. 

l!i the morning we found our traps all in their 
places. Beach asked the landlord what the racket 
meant that we had heard all night? 

" Oh, there was a fellow who came to borrow a 
saddle." 



THE horse's rescue. 223 

Beach did not swallow that. Later on he inquired 
about til is house, and learned from some that it was a 
hotel for horse-thieves. Tiie horses seemed to feel 
middliuii^ well iu the morniuiz:, after their ]on<]: rest — 
all 1)11 1 my lame mai*e. She was getting very lame. 

We moved on slowly. In the course of the day we 
passed through a toll-gate on an old worn plank-road 
full of broken planks and holes. I stopped, not want- 
ing to get up any row on the road with any one. I 
told him this train all belonged to me to pay toll on, 
which I well knew he had no right to take. I handed 
him a bill. He took out what he })leased. I did not 
look to see how much he did take. I mit t^>e chansre 
in my poclcet and moved op, the trair. all followitig. 
Aftei' uoinu" al)0ut two miles I heard a man Veliiniz-: I 
look«ed around ; I saw it was the gate-tender. It was 
hot ; he was a short fat man; he liad heated himself 
up bad. His face was vei'y red. He was wiping off 
tlie sweat. He yelled at me, and said I did not pay 
toll, only half. 

" If you don't pay the balance, and me for coming 
after you I will have you arrested for running the 
gate." 

*• I did not run the gate," I replied. *• I don't know 
how much you did take. How much do you want 
now r 

"I want one dollar." 

"I am going to stop at this hotel to feed. There 
we can arrange this matter. There is no hurry. It is 
not necessary for 3^ou to run yourself to death. In 
the first place I have not driven on these planks. My 
teams could not draw these wagons over these holes. 



224 THE horse's rescue. 

How much will it cost me for running the gate, if I do 
not pay you the dollar?" 

''Twenty-five dollars." 

"I think I will not give you any more money. I 
shall be back over this road in a few weeks. Then I 
shall want to drive on a trot. If you do not have this 
rubbish cleared out of the road I will have the stock- 
holders arrested for obstructing the highway. It is 
dangerous as it is." 

After feeding and taking a rest we moved on, the 
mare growing lamer all the time. After standing, it 
hurt her badly to start. We went three miles farther. 
Here was a hotel kept by a fat, red -faced, burly-look- 
ing fellow. We were tired. Beach says: 

'' If I had a drink of good whisky I would like it." 

This was the first time we had called for anything 
of the kind. 

Said Beach : " Cap, hav^ you got some good 
whisky?" 

'* Yes, sir; I have." He slammed a decanter down 
hard enough to break a common glass bottle all to 
pieces. ''•There is some that does not stink of tur- 
pentine." 

We turned out a little and smelt of it. Turpentine 
was all it did stink of. We smelled light of that and 
moved on. After traveling many miles, stopping 
often to let the horses rest and stop the yelling caused 
by rosin, we came to the foot of Addison Hill. This 
is a Icnjr heavv hill. It is about three miles from 
base to summit. 

"Beach," I remarked, "this is a settler; it is so 
hot. The road winds through the woods; not a 



THE horse's rescue. 22S 

breath of air. When we stop going np this hill we 
will have to block all of the hind wheels on all of 
these wagons, or the pressure above will back the light, 
wagons over the blockings. The horses can't hold 
them and rest. This will be lively work after you 
sino- out ' whoa.' This is the way 1 have always had 
to do. A prop dragging does more hurt than gjod. It 
will turn light wagons over. The weight settling back 
will raise up the light wagons and throw them all 
around in many ways. We must not pull these horses 
more than a rod at one time. In this T'-ay we must 
climb this hill, if we get up it." 

After working up this hill about half way I saw 
that one of Beach's horses was not right. It was not 
the one that got choked. This horse had stood it well 
up to this time. It was hot ; he was overdone ; he had, 
what is called by some, the thumps. It is the palpi- 
tation of the heart. 

"Beach, we must get these wagons out of the road 
and anchor here. That horse must not be drawn any 
more now. He would drop dead on this hill." 

We blocked up. took off the horses, got in the 
woods in the shade, and stayed there until it got 
cooler. After resting a few hours the sun got lower, 
and we tried it again. This horse had got over thump- 
ing, or liis heart had. We slowly worked up to the 
summit; then it went better. After about four or 
five miles we came to the river and pulled in at a 
hotel. There we were within fourteen n.iles of the 
port I was sailing for with one very lame mare. We 
put up for the night. In the morning I soon saw one 
•train wrecked. My mare's leg was badly swelled from 



226 THE horse's rescue. 

lioof to top of shoulder. She stood with her weight 
foi'ward all on one foot. I moved, her around. She 
went on three legs. 

" Beach, tills looks like a shipwreck. Well, w^e can 
sail some yet. You can draw your train eight miles. 
It will be level that distance along^ the river. Then it 
will be six miles over heavy hills. Your team cannot 
draw the load up them. I will make a single harness 
out of my double harness and hitch the stallion single, 
and lead the mare behind, and leave the balance of my 
train. This is the best I can do." 

After rosining and greasing, we set sail again. 
Beach ahead now, I in the rear, the mare with a long 
rope tied to her head, so as to give her plenty of room 
she hobbling along on three legs. The mud was deep 
along the rivei*. It had rained nearly every day since 
we started ; showers many times a day ; then it would 
come off hot. We moved slowly, stopping often. In 
time we sailed eight miles. Then we must take leave 
of the river and climb hills. Tliis cannot be done with 
any propelling power we have got." 

" Beach, drop off here all of the wagons but one, 
and we will sail on. I tliink we can get through with 
two vrao^ons. I wish to make the Dort I started for 
with some of this train, if it is wrecked, as it will be, 
and badly, too. There we can repair up. It is at my 
father's farm. We can turn out some of these horses 
and they can rest up, that will help them." 

Headers, you can see us winding our way up and 
down the heavy hills of the state of Pennsylvania with 
a small part of this wreck. I am going to tell you the 
cause as soon as I find it. A little before night we 



THE horse's rescue. 227 

arrived at my father's house. This is where I always 
found welcome. Welcome was always around there 
Xo his children, of which he had not a few. There 
were eleven boys and two girls, scattered all over the 
country. These arrivals were no surprise to him. It 
was a common thing for some of them to sail into this 
port daj^s and all times of the night. Sometimes four 
and five would be in this port at one lime, to rest up 
and repair up wrecks, and it was all free. Reader, I 
assure you it took some hard knocks and some hard 
work to keep this free port open. I have sailed into 
this port to repair up many wrecks, sailing over these 
hills with wagons and horses. They would happen in 
some way with all I could do to prevent. When we 
arrived this time he soon saw there was another wreck. 
He was out flying around (he was no sit-still), strip- 
ping the harness off the horses. 

" Gerari has got his thumb in his mouth. That is 
a su-i'e sign things are not going to suit him." 

'^Father, this pony has come this long journey, and 
drawn heavy loads. She is growing worse all the 
time, and I have not been able to find the cause; it 
commenced the first day. If I ijadsome shoeing tools 
I would take off her shoe and give her foot a thorough 
examination." 

"Those can be had." 

Frank was started for the tools on a run. Beach's 
horses were cleaned and turned out in a shad}^ pasture. 
Frank soon came with the tools. I removed the shoe, 
and commenced this search by paring thin shavings 
off the sole of the foot. I soon saw the cause of 
all this trouble. There was a row of nearly square 



228 THE horse's rescue. 

spots. These formed a circle the shape of the shoe, 
ai]d the spots were the same distar.ee apart that the 
holes in the shoe were. I took my knife and cut in a 
little, and the matter spurted out thieefeet. I cut the 
other three open in the same way. They all dis- 
charged in about the sam.e way. These spots, or 
places where these nails went in her feet, were under 
the shoe when it was on. 

"It was a wonder she did not die wdth lock jaw. 
If I had a pint of tar I could soon make her quite 
easy from pain." 

Frank was started on a three-mile sail, on a run. 
He soon came back with the tar. While he was gone 
I made a boot for her foot. It had a sole on it, and 
laced up. I put in plenty of tar, put on this boot, laced 
it up, secured well, and turned her out in the pasture. 
One of my brothers took his team and we pulled in 
the first wrecked train. The other train I pulled in 
two at a trip, with the stallion. These wagons all had 
to be washed. They v/ere all one complete daub of 
mud. They had worn all of the play they would 
need. Rosin is the poorest axle tree grease in the 
world ; that I know. I have had a trial of it. I never 
tried the best. I have seen it advertised. Beach spent 
ten days viewing the country while waiting for liis 
poor old horses to rest and recover what they had lost 
from many causes, preparatory to sailing this road 
over again. One he hitched to the sulky, led the 
oldest behind, and sailed out on Addison Hill ; at the 
very spot where the one he was then driving gave out 
with the palpitation of the heart, the one that he 
led dropped dead in the road the first day. Anothei^ 



THE horse's rescue. 229 

wreck. She was removed out of the highway and 
we sailed on. In a short time the other's heart began 
to thump, and he had to stop then. In this way, after 
many days, he arrived home. This horse, before we 
started, was quite a good farm horse. He can never 
endure any more hard work. Beach went with me 
on another trip a few years after, over this same road. 
We got through better ; we had learned by experi- 
ence. I was obliged, with my small pony stallion, to 
draw all of these wagons around over heavy hills to 
market them. They were a hard-looking lot to sell. I 
was obliged to trade and traffic some, for cattle and 
then sell them — horses the same ; no rest for me. 
They did not shine quite so much as they did when I 
started. A little varnish makes a vast difierence, in 
some folks' judgment, in many ways and about many 
things. They will bite a shiny bait very quick. It 
will attract their attention. My wagons looked like 
second-hand. Well, they were, and I knew it; but I 
had as good a right to sell second-hand wagons aa 
others for all I could get, and at it I went. After six 
weeks hard work they were disposed of in many 
ways. 

This mare's foot must be looked to to see what condi- 
tion it is in. The boot is on and has been for six 
weeks. She has been over her lameness for a long 
time. She has run in the pasture. The first treat- 
ment, when I put this boot on, is all she ever had to 
her, and it has been six weeks. I am going to sail 
this road over again. The last thing to be done, 
always, with me, preparatory to a sail on land with 
horses, is to prepare their feet all at one time ; no 



230 THE horse's rescue. 

botching and hurting about this business on the 
horse's foot at any time on nny horses or on any man's 
horse. This is a rule I always have adhered to. The 
best I can do, it will be bad enough for the horse in a 
short time. I rem.oved the boot; the foot had grown, 
that is, the hoof had. Tiiere had not been any wear 
on the hoof on this foot on account of the boot, and it 
had useless hoof on. That did not effect her much in 
pasture. I pulled all of this mare's shoes ofiE when I 
turned her out. This is the way to do with all horses. 
Examining this mare's foot, the old sole was all loose, 
or nearly so. I took it all off. Underneath there was 
a new sole grown. At this time and stage of growth 
it was white and soft and very tender. There was no 
contraction. Tlie foot had not had iron nailed on it. 
It had its libert3^ 

I must get back to my shop and see to business 
there. This foot must be fixed and this tender sole 
and growth must be protected. IC this is mutilated 
now and she gets fever in her hoof it will ruin her. 
She must have something to protect the sole for this 
drive — a wide web, and a very thin, light shoe. It is 
something of a chore to fix this foot up, to keep all 
protected, and keep the mare sailing on the road and 
not spoil her; and yet it can be done, and this is the 
way to do it: The dirt and sand must all be kept out 
of the foot. It will be necessary to have a piece of 
calf-skin large enough to cover over the bottom of the 
foot and come up above the ankle, so as to form a 
boot leg. For fear this might wear through on the 
bottom and let in dirt and gravel, there must be 
another thicker piece, the size of the foot, put over 



THE horse's rescuk 2C1 

« 

that, and the shoe nailed over all It requires some 
patience and skill to nail this shoe on the foot and get 
it all in good shape, and not prick the foot with nail?, 
with only one-quarter of an inch shell to drive nails in. 
and that all covered up out of sight with leather; and 
yet this was done. I have bent over thousands of horses' 
feet, fixing them in this way and many other w^ays, 
until I almost see stars. After getting this shoe on 
nicely there must be some tar warmed, not hot ; I do 
not want to spoil the new growth on this tender foot 
by burning in any way. This damned burning busi 
ness I am down on, on horses and on everything else. 
That belongs back in the dark ages. I poured a little 
tar in at the heel, pulled up the calf-skin around the 
ankle, laid it in plaits, and sewed it. Ko tying to shut 
off the circulation. It took me some time to fix this 
foot. There are many things to look to working on 
horses' feet. The foot was not contracted. 

This job suits me. The frog has a rest in the center 
on the ground. I am ready to sail again. This treat- 
ment on the foot where nails have been driven in the 
foot by accident or any other way is good. I alwavs 
made a success in this way. Care must be token of 
the foot or it will contract. That will spoil the foot 
and horse at the same time. I have seen lots of horses 
spoiled in this way by not taking proper care of the 
foot. If it should contract, spread it, and hold it out. 
It is easy to do this. 

I sailed home ; no wreck on the way ; not a limp on 
that booted foot, and I left it on until the boot wore 
through. By that time the foot had got quite hard. I 
kept it protected for some time. I am going to tell 



282 THE HORSES liESCUE. 

yoa the cause of nearlj" all this trouble and shipwreck. 
Part was my fault. That rosin business was my fault. 
I listened to that old liar, "They Say." I did not use 
reason until it was too late. I thiiik Beach's horses 
would have made that trip if it had not been for rosin. 
They were lugged to death. There was no let-up on 
them. They had to draw up and down grade nearly 
all the route, and no help for it. Tliey were not fed 
up for such a trip, and were old ; and yet we could 
have favored them and would, and we did all we could. 
Eosin would block the wheels, and blocked the game. 
Part of this wreck was caused l)y a sneak thief, taking 
my mare out of my stable in the night, lambing her 
around all night, tearing ofl or twisting around her 
shoe, and causing her to drive four nails into the bot- 
tom of her foot. That was the biggest eye-opener I 
ever had at that time. I had had some before, one 
about nine months previous to this. That caused me 
to stare, but as it is on another subject I will save that 
for another book, which I intend to write. These eye- 
openers caused me to begin to think more and use more 
reason and all the good judgment and good sense I 
could command about all things. I am using more of 
these articles now than I ever used in all my life, and 
vet I make some mistakes. These wrecks and mis- 
takes have all been lessons to me. It has been so all 
through life — wreck, repair, and sail What is the use 
of getting scared ? 

Let us go on with this horse sail. You cannot ex- 
pect to own and drive horses without having some 
lame in some way and in many ways. The only thing 



THE horse's rescue. 233 

we can do is to remove all the cause we can, and keep 
it removed. 

It has been some time since you have heard from 
the old white mare. She is doinj^ finely. She is im- 
proving all the time. Her shoulders are nearly alike. 
When she trots fast she seems a little stiff. I am not 
goino- to move out of this town, on account of this old 
mare. She is far better off now than I expected her 
to become when I commenced on her. I am well paid 
for my labor if she never improves any more. I have 
worked on this mare five months. It is March now. 1 
shall soon want to sell her. She is of no use to me 
any more. It will be a rather hard job to sell her, for 
she is very old. I must let her go if I give her away. 
They will not know this mare in this town. She has 
not been seen in a long time. She does not look like 
that old mare I had towing around the streets last fall, 
and no argument can be used to convince them, and I 
shall not try. I want her off my hands. I am going 
to start this science in another place, if I can. This 
has been a tough town to work on the horse. It has 
about killed me. I have taught all of the time, and 
no one seems to be interested in my science, that is, 
to learn it. I cannot get their attention except when 
I am buo-ling in the streets, and that has become a 
common thing with them. They do not seem to un- 
derstand what I am trying to do. They stare a. little 
and o-o about their business, unless I set up a yell. 
Then they go for me: 

''Say, Doan, what do you do for a horse that has 
got a sore neck?" 

'' Where is your horse ?" 



284 THE horse's rescue, 

"I»r\ the barn over here a little way." 

" I cannot tell until I see tlie horse." 

" Come, go over and see him." 

*' I will go with you." 

After travelling about half a mile— " It's that big 
gray ; his neck is awful sore, and has been a long 
time. I have used lots of stuff on it. I can't heal 
it up." 

" It is chawed up ; that is certain." 

" Now what would you do for that?" ' 

*'I would remove the cause Yevy quickly if he was 
my horse, and you can do that as well as I." 

"What would you do?" 

"I would t:ike off tliat collar and hnims, tlie weight 
off his neck ; wash his nt-ck cleiin with castile soap, 
grease it widi bntter or lard, castoi' oil, or sweet oil, 
an}^ of these things will make it feel better. It would 
get well without anything after the cause is re- 
moved." 

The fact is, ignorance is the greatest di'awback a 
man ever had This team of horses was not very well 
matched. As for size, one was a small, low pony , the 
other was a tall, rangy horse. The tongue of the wagon 
was heavy enough for an ox-cart; ilic yoke was very 
heavy ; tlie brea$t-strap3 were buckled up short on the 
tall horse in such a way that he had to hold at least 
two-thirds of this weight on his neck. The collar was 
a small, nearly worn out thing, cut apart at the top 
and let down, Vv'ith no pad. The collar lacked five 
inches of reaching to the top of the neck; the hames 
were drawn tight together with a hard strap, and that 
was twisted at that. I told liim to remove all of this 



THE horse's rescue. 285 

rubbish, and keep it off, and his horse's neck -vrould 
get well in a very short time; then put sonnething on 
him fit for a horse to work in, and if you must use 
that carl-tongue and ox-yoke, there are plenty of 
hickory saplings ; cut one, run it under the forward 
axle, bend it down and strap it to the tonguo. Tliat 
will take two-thirds of the weight off these poor 
• horses' necks. What is the use of these horses stand- 
ing tied all day to posts with this weight on their 
necks? It gets painful. lahvays keep all the weight 
off my horses' necks that I can. It is not much 
trouble, and if it is it will pay you, and save A'our 
horses suffering more tlian you are aware of. They 
will endure more : tlieir necks will keep their shape, 
and will not get sore if they have a good collar well 
fitted, and hames to fit them. You cannot have nice 
horses and have them all chawed up with rubbish for 
harness. 

"Say, Doan," says another, "my mare is getting 
wind-puffs on. What do you do for them?" 

" Keep the liorse natural ; that is the way I do it." 

"You're a good talker." 

The fact was I was getting very tired talking, and 
keeping so many horses all sailing, doing all of the 
work, but very little pay. I begun to get a little sour. 
I could not help it. They did not use and take care 
of their horses as well as I did, and the}^ could spoil 
them faster than I could cure. I am not going to 
give up this horse fight yet. I am going to come out 
with this old white mare. I will give them one good 
surprise before I leave this town. These are facts I 
am writing. They are no dreams or fictitious tales. 



236 THE HORSE'S RESCUE. 

I dressed up this old mare a little for this surprise. 
She was fat and clean ; not a stain on her. I kept her 
so all of the time. She did not stand in the stable to 
do this, she had been driven nights, not to dcaih, 
then half starved. She had the best of care all of this 
time in all ways. I had been in this barn with her 
nights for nearly six months, more than half of my 
time. Of course I was not always to work on her. 
Looking at her I cannot tell why I did this, only I was 
pleased with the result. It was a big thing. She 
looked young around her head. Her eyes are large, 
bright, and full now. The skin is filled out plurnp 
with flesh. She shows no wrinkles around the nose; 
she never did much, like some horses. She is full of 
life , she looks a little wild out of her eyes. I cleaned 
and combed her tail. She had a long tail that almost 
touched the floor. Her mane had grown, though it 
looked a little ragged where the collar had chawed it 
before I got her. I drove her in breast collar. I 
wanted to give her neck a chance to fill up. I was 
doing my best on this old mare to please myself, and 
at my own expense, and it was no business of any 
man. I combed and parted her foretop, braided it to 
keep it out of her eyes, and braided ribbons in so as 
to make tassels. This I always do on my horses in 
hot weather. I do not want my hair hanging in and 
over my eyes. I cannot see as well. Besides, it will 
annoy a horse, and cause him to toss his head when he 
gets sweaty. I put on a new harness, hitched to a 
light buggy, and sailed out. After driving a while on 
the ourskirts of the town I sailed down Main street. 
It so happened there was a band of musicians blowing 



THE HORSES KESCL E. 



237 



their bagles. This mare liked music; it waked her 
up somef She put on more style on that account, and 
yet I did not attract much attention ; neither did the 
horse. After driving around this town a few hours I 
did not seem to surprise any one ; then I began to get 
surprised myself. I talked with some; they did not 
know this mare. There was only four in this town 
that knew this mare, and no argument could convmce 
them that it was the same old mare I led around that 
town six months previous, and talked in many places 
and told them I was going to try to cure her without 
medicine or mutilating her in any way. I told them 
thev would not know her, and they did not. Doctor 
Woodrough's residence and mine joined. George, his 
son, was a horse-trainer by profession. His brother 
was around the stables. These three men knew what 
I was doing, and trying to do. Our barns joined. I 
made the fourth man that knew this mare in this 
town. They had seen her often, and watched the 
change. While driving around this town I passed a 
grocery. There were several standing around. The 
Woodrough boys were there. They saw me pass. 
Says George : " There goes Doan witli that old mare 
he had towing around here last fall." 

I overheard them talking, but I did not stop. It 
was no use. I sailed on. George and his brother 
got up quite a racket about it. They told me these 
men said this mare I was driving was a colt. I had 
let that old mare go long ago. They would bet 
twenty-five dollars it was not the same old mare. The 
boys were ready to bet with them, but it turned out 
all wind, as it usually did. I always had money to 



238 THE hosre's rescue. 

back up this great science, and have got some now. 
There is no danger of losing on my side. That I well 
know. After all this hard winter's work only a few 
liave learnt anything, for this reason, they cannot see 
as I have (lone anything on that old m?.re I had last 
fal]. She is changed so her identity is forever lost to 
them. They can see nothing but that old mare I 
was towing around last fall, and they cannot see her. 
I can see them both at the same time. With science 
I can change young horses in a very few days so 
much their owners would not know them if I did not 
tell them anything about it. They dare not swear 
it was their horse, for this reason. I have been called 
a dangerous and bad man ; some have told me they 
would not dare take their horses in my shop. Such 
cowards must drive stiff horses. I have had horses so 
lame and stiff they could hardly move ; if they did it 
hurt them very bad — brought to me to cure. Before 
I was allowed to commence on them I must give se- 
curity three and four times the horse's worth, for fear 
I mif^ht spoil them. I would like some of these 
afraid and cowardly men to tell me how it would be 
possible to spoil one of these horses. They are already 
spoilt, and some have been for many years. Thej^ can 
be made worse by these effect doctors in many ways, 
and are, and they are paid well for doing it. I never 
heard of one case in my life where they were asked to 
civc security if they killed these horses burning and 
rnutilatino^ them. Some died with the lockjaw, caused 
bv scatons being put in their shoulders. Some do get 
killed by these effect doctors ; some stand the torture 



THE horse's rescue 239 

well. It is surprising how much tliej can stand of 
this treatment and live and w^ork, their feet murdered 
to death at the same time. My God ! they must be 
toue^h. 

Poor old gray, we must soon part, 

To do this, it will almost break my heart ; 

We liave roamed together almost night a*id day, 

Prom the mill T have carried middlings and given 3-ou good hay. 

This is hard for both you and me ; 

To help other poor horses tliere is no other way that I can see, 

Thi:i great discovery I must introduce; 

Ti:crc arc tlionsands likt; you suffering tlie same abuse. 

I liave changed yon back as your creator intended you to be; 

If there is any defect in this job they cannot see. 

Xo mercy to you they will t^how, 

Through deep mud and snow you will have to go; 

It v.-ill not be long, this abuse you will have to endure, 

You're getting tild; your time is most out, that is sure. 

They arc such poor judges of species of your kind, 

They cannot tell if you are old, stiff, lame, or blind. 

On l^ie road they will pound yon tlirough 

Night and day, with or without a shoe; 

If any slioes they do put on. 

They're often a tli.ousand times t\^orse than none. 

Poor old marc, after 3'on I have sold, 

On you I can not have any more control. 

You will have to take your chances as all others do; 

I may never hav you again to shoe. 

Up and down hills you will have to go, 

With all lengths of levers on your toe. 

This pain and suffering your driver cannot feel; 

Its effect extends from top of shoulder to the heel, 

Tf you could talk and tell them where tlic cause all laid, 

Then to part w»t,h you I would not bo so much afraid; 

But as this complicated matter now stjinds. 

There is no safety in any man's hands. 

The trouble with your feet will not be all you will have to endure, 

You will have to sleep on piles of stinking, rotten nianurn. 



240 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

How all this trouble and sufEering can be overcome 
Is more than I can tell, j'our drivers are so dumb. 
Nearly all of 3^our fellow-creatures are in the same plight, 
Tlie same as you, they are obliged to suffer day and night. 
With sore cords, pains, and aches in their feet, 
Some are so bad they cannot stand long enough to eat. 
I would like to relieve the suffering of all of your kind; 
IIovv to do it I cannot tell, they all seem so blind. 
This is the reason why I put you av/ay, 
Is to see if I can introduce this some other way. 
On all of the centers I have equalized your weight, 
Taken off the toe-lever, and made your feet mates; 
And put the structure of your foot all in harmouy of action. 
And it would stay so if it weren't for run-over feet, leverage, arid con- 
traction . 
'By ironing the feet this cannot be prevented 
With any steel or iron shoe that man has ever invented. 
The dangers that you are surrounded with are many ; 
1 do not know as I can help you to steer clear of any. 
That old ditch called the canal is close by ; 
That is where old horses like you are taken to die. 
When horses like you have been crippled and old, 
To go on the canai then thej'' are sold. 
To last one trip is sometimes all they care. 
In doing this they are sr-.ipped of flesh, hide, and liair. 
I have seen them in herds ploddmg their way 
Toward this ditch, there to end up their day. 
When you were young and limber you had better horii6s, 
Now you are stiff, j^ou must have all the fiesli chawed off your bofiSs. 
This ia the best place for that that can be found. 
Search where you will, the world all round. 
It serves all the same, young, limber, stiff, or blind; 
A worse place for a horse or a mule you cannot find. 
It galls and chafes them both fore and aft, 
All caused by so much side draft. 

Horses on this ditch can never travel and draw on a straight liild. 
If men had this work to do it would be tedious they would find. 
'ihis side draft can never be overcome, this is sure — 
Picm.ove the cause, no medicine is required to perform the cixt& 
Water to walk on by man or beast the creator never nmde, 



THE horse's rescue. 241 

In that we have to swim, drown, or wade. 

In order to do away with this side draft that galls them so 

In the center of this ditch and water they would have to go ; 

If the water was shallow so they could wade and not be drowned. 

Then in this case they would always be aground ; 

If the water wa.s deep enough for the craft to float, 

These poor horses could not swim and draw a loaded boat 

I cannot see any argument in favor of this ditch use; 
It always has been a great place poor horses and mules to abuse. 
Their suffering with pen and ink I cannot portray ; 
I think this old ditch ought to be done away, 
For many other reasons besides the horse's abuse. 
It's had its day and outlived its use. 
It always was a center for corruption and crime ; 
It's outlived its day and had its time. 
It always has been a slow-poke of a way to travel at best 
In my boyhood days I took it in my head to go West. 
On this stinking ditch four hundred miles I traveled; 
It was lock up hill, lock down, in no place level. 
All this long sail my fare I paid, 
And yet more than half of it on foot I made. 
Sometimes I would be many miles ahead 
Viewing the country, sitting on verandahs in the shade. 
You may call it what you will, good or bad luck, 
Every few days all these crafts in the mud are stuck. 
The cause of all this shipwreck was many miles away; 
No one could tell how long in this stinking mud they would have to 

stay. 
Of all the nuisances that ever were on the face of this earth 
This old stinking ditch called the canal is the worst. 
All must wait for the breach to be repaired : 
These poor horses and mules, my God! how they faredl 
In mud, cold, and sleet, necks girdled clear^around, 
Obliged 10 stand up and sleep, no place fit to lie down. 
In its day it might have been of use if they could have used other 

power ; 
As it has been and now is, on them is only slaughter and devour, 
To navigate this old ditch with this power or any other 
It always would be crowded with wrecks and bother. 



242 THE horse's rescue. 

My object in going West was the country to view ; 

Of course I wanted to see all that I traveled through. 

I was green, of course, as all new-beginners musi be, 

But experience soon taught me down in this ditch I could not seo. 

Down in this small, stinking cabin I cannot sta}^. 

If I do all of my money and time will be thrown away. 

The next course for me, I think, to pursue 

"Will be to go on deck, there I can have a better view. 

There in the scorching sun I seated myself on a box ; 

In a very short time my head received an awful knock. 

After my brains were nearly knocked out, 

" A bridge ahead!" I heard four or five shout. 

These arches are quite thick across this old stinking pool, 

A man will soon get his eyes open unless he is a fool. 

Before he has traveled on this ditch very far 

He will soon learn these bridges to beware. 

All was new to me, I was always gaping around, 

" Lay down there, unless you want your bones ground," 

As quick as thought I ducked my head down ; 

This was a narrow escape from being killed or drowned. 

I do not want to be drowned in stinking water like this; 

It's unsafe, I know, but I will run a little more risk. 

I have paid my fare through on this boat, 

And I am going to keep track as long as there is a plank to float. 

This is rather tough to sit here in the hot sun and heat, 

And see sore horses whipped, pounded, and beat. 

This craft, too, moves at such a very slow rate. 

If I was in a hurry it would be tedious to wait. 

While seated on the stern of the boat, looking about, 
I heard another yell, " Bridge ahead I look out!" 
Nearly all of the boat under the bridge had passed, 
As quick as thought, my safety was the bridge to grasp. 
This I very quickly saw, to save my life, must be done. 
The craft moved on ; over^the center of this ditch I hung. 
In those days I was young, resolute, strong, and spry. 
If I lose my hold it will be wade, swim, or die. 
Over the bridge-rail, heels over head, I went. 
By this time I hud thought my money was foolishly spent. 
If I do not keep my eyes open, and a better look-out. 



THE horse's rescue. 243 

I shall get killed or drowned before I get to the end of this route. 
On the sea of life we must all sail ; 
t is no kind of use to bawl, weep, or wail. 

I am going to try the tow-path awhile and see how that will go ; 
It is hard to pay my fare on this craft and go afoot, 1 know. 
It's not much fun to sit on that boat and watch bridge.s ahead, 
And run the risk of having- your brains knocked out of your head. 
'The poorest investment in my life that I ever made 
It was when my fare on this old craft I paid. 
it was on a pleasure trip when I sec sail that I was bound; 
Dead in this old stinking flitch I did not want to be found. 
I liave shipped aboard, I Avon't back out, 
I am going to see this craft through to the end of the route. 
It won't do for me to get very far ahead: 
I may lose track — their horses, too, are liable to drop dead. 
Horses on the canal never get tired on their legs, 
They are in such a hurry they must eat, while they work, out of 

bags. 
When it came night, in this craft to sleep I would go ; 
And that could not be done, the musketoes speared me so. 
The bullfrogs would all begin their bugles to blow ; 
It seemed to me they all tried each other to outdo. 
All seemed to be blowing their biggest blast, 
And all trying each other to outlast. 
This bugling was kept up during the nights ; 
To make matters worse, on the Low-path there would be fights. 
This craft they tried night and day to run, 
And that was out of the question, impossible to be done. 
Every few days this old ditch out this slime would spew, 
Tlien all would be wrecked — boat, passengers, horses, and crew. 
This was so this whole route, along the whole line 
There was a racket about something nearly all of the time. 
At that time when all was in repair and new 
There was a large amount of produce crowded through. 
In the summer to this old ditch it would center ; 
Not a pound could they carry through the cold long winter. 
In the summer manv times they would wait and tarry, 
All for the want of more freiglit to carr3\ 
In long summer days could be seen idle crew 
In the fall they would all have more than they could do. 



244 THE horse's rescue. 

The cause of all this and all other fluctuations 

Is the want of system and better regulations. 

In the fall, when the most work was to be done, 

This old ditch was crowded full and overrun. 

Right in the worst time j'ou could have this work to do, 

It's froze up solid ; there is no such thing as getting through. 

"Wc have got business, resolute men of this make, 

This ice for many miles they will pound and break. 

In order their freight to market to get 

They will work night and day in cold and wet. 

In this last fluctuation in the fall. 

With man}^ it's make or break, perhaps lose all. 

After all these poor men and horses have done, 

It's full of loaded boats unable to run. '^ 

"With any power this old ditch to navigate. 

It always would have to be done at this slow rate. 

In its day it was the best they could do, 

It was all well enough, it was all they knew. 

Better power has now taken its place. 

To lay out money on this ditch is only waste ; 

To keep it up in repair, I mean. 

If men think and have eyes it can be seen 

With railroads and steam it never can compete ; 

Nearly always wrecked, and that, too, in fleets. 

If 3-0U try to sail it is only half the year round, 

And then in fleets 3^ou're frozen in or on the ground; 

Then the produce you are trying to market take. 

The people would all starve before the port you could make; 

And that is not all ; you cannot get the work to do. 

They will not wait for this old ditch- to crowd it through. 

To conduct the produce of a country through such a place 

Must always be attended with shipwreck, trouble, and waste. 

This is the way it always has and will have to be done, 

These troubles never will nor never can be overcome. 

There is nothing in favor of this stinking ditch can be said ; 

A man might use a little argument in its favor if he was out of his 

head. 
You cannot carry perishable produce at any time of the year ; 
It will not be long, if you get any to carry it will be queer, 
They cannot carry hogs, cattle, neither alive nor dead. 



THE horse's rescue. 245 

They would all die, s.ink, and carrion before the port was made. ^ 

This ditch, there is no safety shipping anything on it ; 

It IS liable to get sick itself any time, and vomit. 

There can be hundreds and thousands cf things said 

To prove this old stinking ditch called the canal is dead. 

"What surprises me the most is it lived as long as it did, 

Take in consideration the filth and corruption it has been fed. 

The railroad now must take the lead, 

On corruption and carrion it does not feed. 

And furthermore, it's got more sea to sail. 

And with it carries the United States mail. 

All over this republic its centers are made, 

All systematized, and has got the balance of trade. 

The producer his products to market can get this way ; 

It can be marketed and get return the same day. 

This system causes produce more evenly to run, 

This is the way fluctuation in trade away must be done. 

With railroads all systematized and running on this plan, 

It's folly any longer through this ditch produce to try to cram, 

For many years it has gradually been falling to decay, 

It's became a nuisance now, and should be out of the way. 

It to rise again it never can, that is plain to see, 

The pioduce of the country from it seems to flee, 

I cannot see where any longer it's of any kind of use. 

Only make slaves to pay taxes, and stiff, lame, bhnd horses to abuse. 

We cannot help what has already been done. 

But we can prevent any more suffering and crime from this source to 

come, 
In this way — clear away this rubbish, it's no longer of any use, 
It will do away with lots of crime, suffering, eind abuse. 
Clear away old rubbish and make room for new, 
This is what all mankind on this globe have always had to do ; 
This is so all over this world, sail the globe around, 
Through this purifying mill we all have to be ground. 
This old stinking ditch has a long time been dead, 
And yet with corruption, filth, and carrion of all kinds it's fed. 
With disease it is constantly inoculating along the whole route, 
By puking, vomiting, and spewing this carrion out. 
As it now is and always has been, empty or full, 
Do all you can, and yet it's a stinking old cestipool. 



246 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

It w^ll get sick, and out this slime and corruption will run, 

Neirly always, when this takes place, great damage is done 

Abandon now thu old nuisance, tliis has got to be ; 

The inhabitants of course frum it cannot very well flee. 

All full of pools of dead, inanimate corruptions it lies. 

This IS the cause of sickness, disease; in this it has its rise. 

There is only one way left now that I can see, 

As the people do not want to leave their farms and houses and flee, 

Is to bury this center of filth and corruption under ground, 

"With other dead things of tlie past, so deep it cannot be iound. 

T.iis should many years ago been done, 

Instead of squandering the people's money trying to make a dead thing 

run. 
There should many years ago appropriation have been made. 
And men set to work with scraper, plow, pick, shovel, and spade. 
With some good live men this job to superintend, 
This would not be a great task . it would soon come to an end. 
This work lor our country's sake should now begin ; 
It would save a multitude of suffering, crime and sin. 

Fine palaces to build, to make tyrannical laws. 
To punish the effect, will not remove the cause. 
If with tramps you do not want to be overrun, 
Something besides making tyrannical laws must be done. 
There never has been a law that the people could not break, 
And they always have and always will for liberty's sake. 
That tramp law smells to hell of tyranny and oppression: 
It's a disgrace to a school district, town, country, state, or nation. 
Do not be in a hurry your neighbor and brother man to pursue , 
Look around ; there may be some one m pursuit of you. 
"With such corrupt legislation as we now have got 
All are liable to stink carrion and rot. 
A worse law m legislative halls you could not make, 
It caused all paupers and tramps a different course to take — 
" As we can no longer for help with safety to the people appeal, 
It's safer now, when our money is all gone, to steal." 
That damned tramp law is got up on such a wise plan 
It's bound to take our liberty away, do the best we can. 
These smart and good and wise men to the center of eacli state we 
have sent 



THE horse's rescue. 247 

To ruip MS legislating lor themselves, they seem hell bent 

If they <lo not change the course tliat they now pursue 

They will financially wreck th-) ship of state, passengers and crew. 

They are fast sappmg the people's hard-earned money away 

To build costly palaces for themselves in to stay. 

"Wo do not any longer want our money to pay 

Tyrannical men our liberty to legislate away. 

For many years it has been going on from bad to worse ; 

Many laws you have made for us are only a curse ; 

And the course you are steering now and want to take 

Is to mako yourselves rich and of us paupers make. 

Heavy taxes to pay, and that used for pomp and show, 

"Will soon shipwreck us all, that we well know. 

We will all have to drop in line if this course you sail, 

We will all be made paupers, of this there will be no fail. 

Spend the people's money m doing so, of them make paupers and 

poor, 
Then tax them to build reformatories, prison pens, in them lo secure. 
The blackest laws of these or of any other times 
Is to legislate, make laws, to make paupers, then make poverty a 

crime. 
If we do not have wiser, honester. better men at the helm of the ship 

of state 
To hell and destruction we will all go in this wake. 
Of all tlie damned, unmerciful tyrants a man can ever see 
Are men that will legislate to Hike other's liberty away, and themselves 

go free; 
And this, too, for the awful crime of not havmg a cent. 
How do you know, if these men ever had any money, how it was 

spent ? 
Do not be in a hurry your fellow-man's liberty away to take, 
He may have something new that cost his all to make. 
To all mankind, rich or poor, to them mercy show. 
You do not always know the cause that made them so. 
Sit down with them ; have a little chat : your time may be well spent _ 
He may have a new discovery that cost a large fortune to invent. 
There are many ways that a pauper can be made. 
And if we do not wiser men select we will all be paupers, I am afraid. 
By legislation legahzed robbers all over the land are found, 
In rings and monopolies they all seem to be bound. 



248 THE horse's rescue. 

In our legislative liulls this corruption seem-' to center, 

Raise tlieir own salaries, make tja-annical laws for others ; in this way 

they winter. 
In this course you are sailing' look ahead: there are breakers, can't; 

you see? 
Of all the damned mean robbers is a man that will sell himself foi a 

fee; 
AH for a few dollars for himself to try to make, 
He will place the lives and property of a nation at stake. 
Poor, blind fools, do you think you know what you are alx>ut? 
The first thing you know you will be all turned mside out. 
If you should make a law to confine me even to a stake, 
That would be the first ilimg with me that law to break. 
With knapsack on my back, through mud and snow, without a cent, 
Night and day I wotild travel to break that taw I would be hell 

bent 
This would be just the way our liberty and freedom was bought ; 
For seven long years the soldiers suffered, died, and fought. 
Tyrants, do you think you can our liberty legislate away? 
If you do, try it: you will find some of the same mettle ihey had m 

that day. 
It doss seem to me the first principles of this government you have 

lost; 
The way jon legislate, act, talk, you seem to thmk yourselves boss. 
We do not intend to pay you much longer to rob us, we will have you 

know : 
The first thing you know, out of our legislative halls you will go. 
Legalized thieves and robbers of yourselves you have made, 
And at that damned business you have carried on heavy trade, 
To rob us and build up powers of your own : 
These facts to us have a long time been kiwwn. 
Steal our hard-earned money, to buy yourselves a position, 
Then legislate to make ten times worse our condition ; 
Enact laws to prevent us from so to do. 
Then sell us and yourselves to this damned robbing crew. 
This is what you have been doing for many long years; 
Weep for your crimes now with scalding, bitter tears. 
You have been now in the balances weighed. 
No more confidence to do our business in you can be paid. 
Our great ship of state you have wrecked and stranded, 



iHE horse's rescue. 249 

Quarreling and fighting for yourselvs a position it to man. 

You have scuttled tills ship and deserted it, too, 

This is just the way all robbers and pirates do. 

There is no use of denying this, it is all true, 

And worse, 3*ou have done, you have murdered some of the crew. 

Poor Garfield you shot down without any cause; 

He has been these many years battling against tyrannical Jaws. 

My God ! what do you think is going to become of this nation ? 

Rob us in many ways, fight, murder — all for a position. 

All the legislation for many years for yourselves that you have done, 

It has made your own condition worse, no good to us by it can come. 

All over our great republic this legalized robbing we have had ; 

They have shipwrecked the whole fleet, and now they are play ng 
grab. 

For little or no service big bills are poured in, just take note — 

My good God ! no wonder this fleet no longei could float, 

Wiih such men as we have had to steer this fleet of our nation. 

If they are allowed to go on they will sail us to hell and damnation. 

If we follow them any longer the course they are pursuing 

You will get all the hell you want ; it's already brewing. 

In the case of Guiteau, look at the useless expense of his trial ; 

He committed the act ; that was seen; it will admit of no denial. 

Poor, unhappy, unfortunate man he must be. 

And his case could have been disposed of without so many rolbers to 
fee. 

In either case, insane or of sound mind, 

A verdict against him they would have to find. 

About this poor, unfortunate man I shall have no more to say ; 

I do not believe in hanging or killing my fellow-man in any way. 

As things look now. something will soon have to be done : 

In this corruption the fleet of the United States cannot run. 

The only way now that T can see to pursue 

Is 10 clear away this damned rubbish and begin new. 

For condemned they are by the overruling power: 

If they are allowed to go on, themselves and all others they will de- 
vour. 

They seem no longer able to keep this ship afloat, 

They might possibly run an old, stinking canal boat. 

If that they should wreck there would not be so much loss. 

Such a craft as that they might possibly get to boss. 



250 THE horse's rescue. 

Their works are enough to condemn them , no more evidence is 

needed; 
Their power in thousands of ways they have exceeded. 
Our servants to represent us we iiave sent to the center of our nation. 
They have been duped — bought to make unwise legislation. 
Some men have such an awful greed for the glitter of gold, 
They will sacrifice the lives and property of a nation and let u be sold. 
And that is the power now with it this nation they are trying to run, 
To rob us of that first that had to be done; 
They all seem trying to see which can get the biggest pile. 
In doing so they have got into a devil of a rile 
The ilag of seventeen hundred and seventy-six will not fade, 
The stripes for tyrants and traitors, thieves, robbers, they were made. 
Some seem trying their level best to pull it down; 
On their wise and honest, faithful heads put a crown. 
This government on the opposite principle was built to run 
To put crowns on our hired help ; I think it will be hardly dons 
For many years, now we have lived under monarchical reign, 
And now it has become despotic. Some are being slain. 
Robberies and riots all over our country we have had, 
Now it looks as though corruption and misrule had run mad. 
There is no use trying to cover it up : it stares you square in the face. 
The way our government for many years has been run is a disgrace. 
It would be tedious for a man to write where this corruption all had 

its rise, 
If lie knew, and had the time, and was ever so wise. 
Just to open your eyes I will give you a little history of a few. 
In the first place, we are sold to this damned robbing crew ; 
We are taxed and robbed in thousands of ways ; 
"Without representation they have made us underlings and slaves. 
They are usurpers of power which to them does not belong ; 
They raised their own salaries themselves, and that was wrong.. 
The people never authorized them this mean business to do ; 
It was all planned by that robbing, sneaking, treacherous crew, 
That was done in the beginning of that great General Grant reign. 
Right in the very time when all around was to be slain. 
Our country was in danger ; the rebels in destruction it had laid ; 
To render us a little assistance fifty thousand dollars a j^ear to him 

must be paid 
And that must be secured a term eight years long I 



THE horse's kescuil 251 

Fellow-citizens, if you do not dear jourselves of ihese sappers you are 
^one. 

la this salary grab, of course, tiiey all had to take a hand • 

Like all other corruptions, it is contagious ; it spread all over the land. 

To double like this is easy for you, wo all very -well know, 

But we iiave to work for very small pay, and that comes slow. 

You doubled our taxes on tliat damned robbmg raid, 

And now you put on pomp and show, and eay these taxes must bo 
paid, 

And if you do not pay it we will sell you out of house and home, . 

And as paupers and thieves over the country you shall roam. 

It seems to me for servants j'ou are putting' on considerable style ; 

The first you know, out of our legislative halls you will go in a pile ; 

Tliis damned tyranmcal yoke wo do not much longer intend to wear . 

We have stood now about all we can possibly bear. 

For frauds, robberies, and corruptions all other iiations you have out- 
done, 

If that is what you are trying to do, you excel, I will not except 
one. 

Even old ancient Rome you outdo in your blind race for gold — 

For that their happiness, country, honor, and lives were sold. 

As for you, General Grant, something more must be done; 

Such services for your country and great laurels you have won ; 

A crown should be put on your head, you should have another fee, 

Of thia whole band of robbers you should be kmg bee. 

This honor you certainly have won, it is plain to be seen. 

To see tliis the people do not have to be very keen. 

It is widespread and well known over the land, 

That robber chief you have become of this entire robbing band. 

Now, sir, I do not see as we can honors any more on you bestow; 

"We are getting very poor; you hav squandered our money and robbed 
us so. 

Raising the salaries all over our whole entire nation. 

It affected all, rich and poor, all in the same relation. 

It caused men who had the poor laborers in their employ 

To close up. " We cannot run, these heavy taxes do us so annoy." 

Some would try a little longer to run by cutting wages down ; 

This has caused thousands, what are now called tramps, to run around 

To see if they could get some work, employment find ; 

And now for doing so they have lUvide laws to make it a crime. 



. 252 THE horse's rescue. 

Mr. Grant, do you not know to prison for begging we have to go, 

All caused by you and your damned rotten, robbing crow? 

You have robbed us and on us heavy taxes laid, 

And criminals and slaves and paupers, too, of us you have made. 

When you pilot of our nation eight years were made, 

Four hundred thousand dollars to you was paid. 

And extras that all cost us money were thrown in, 

And now you are around begging for help again. 

"What you did with all that money of course we do not know. 

Unless you spent it sailing around, setting yourself up for a monkey 

show. 
If now a beggar and pauper vou have got to be 
AftPf all we have done to help you, it is of no use any longer that I 

can see. 
You will have to take your chances as all beggars and paupers do. 
Tour money has been spent without doubt for pomp and show ; 
Of ours we have been robbed by heavy taxes to pay you 
And your damned, corrupted, thieving, robbing crew. 
We do not intend any longer by you robbers and tyrants to be run ; 
To work and slave night and day for small pay is no fun, 
And give it to you to squander and sow broadcast, 
And be shipwrecked, made paupers, and in prisons at last. 
Of all the damned robbers that I ever heard of, of this or of any other 

time. 
You are the biggest, the meanest of this or anv other, for crimes. 
You have got so you are so bold you do it in the broad daylight, 
Then try to cram it down us, and make us believe it is riglit. 
On scientific principles by lionest men this government was made to 

run, 
And now by legalized robbers and thieves corruption it is overdone. 
KTo matter what business you are doing, on a large or small scale. 
When you are overrun with sit-stills and sappers it must fail. 
The idea of taking the hard-earned money of thousands of men, 
And giving it to a lot of blockheads, robbers, and thieves to spend ! 
These pills are a little to big now ; they will not go down ; 
You have made them too big of late ; it has caused tlie people to look 

around. 
You have rung in taxes in all conceivable ways you can, 
And down in your own pockets the most of it you cram. 



THE horse's rescue. 253 

You have made a great mistake ; you have got the whole business 

wrong end too ; 
It's bad, I know, but it is so, we are the government in place of you. 
Of course we understand the principles of this government and plan. 
And you have as much to say about how it shall be run as any other 

man. 
Until you are chosen by the people tliem to represent, 
And to all of the great centers of our great nation are sent. 
Then in relation to this government you are clianged clear around, 
Then you are our servants, then by honor, fidelity, you are sworn and 

bound. 
"We have trusted this great fleet of our nation in your care. 
You have betrayed your oflScial trust, embezzled, robbed, plundered 

beware 1 
Some men seem to think and talk, as it is now it must go on, 
To rescue this nation from your grasp it cannot be done. 
When we look over this great fleet of our nation and take a view. 
Then say this all must be eternally run b}'- this damned robber crew, 
I do not wish any man on this round glebe any harm. 
But the way we are sailing now, there is great reason for alarm. 
If we do not tack ship and steer a different course soon v 

To hell and destruction together we will all go in this vortex and mael- 
strom. 
When men come clamoring around the great center of our nation 
Pleading for aid to keep them from poverty and starvation. 
After we to them have hundreds of thousands of dollars paid. 
To do this it has by law paupers, beggars, criminals of us made. 
Sappers and leeches, do you always think, with your blind greed, 
You can always grind us down to the earth and on ns feed ? 
The principle that you are working on now, if you could ca ly it out, 
Will ruin you as it has us, of that there can be no doubt. 
On labor the support of this nation depends and has its rise, 
And if we cannot clear ourselves of these leeches she dies. 
What a damned lazy, burdensome set they seem to be, 
They are no earthly use to this government, and nowhere that I can 

see. 
These robbers are fast sapping out tlie heart's blood of our nation 
And covering our land with prisons, poorhouses, and desolation. 
We have for many long years these robbers and spendthrifts tried to 

keep up, 



254: THE horse's rescue. 

But we see it's of no kind of use, they only grow more corrupt. 

Before you get us all in the poorhouse and prison pens, 

You will iiave to some of thai money you stole from us spend. 

"^Vhen a nation gets corrupted and rotten a the core, 

The people have no confidence, no safety any more. 

If you steer this fleet of our nation and keep it secure. 

You must keep all of the centers of this great republic pure, 

Then we can battle with outside corruption and keep it at bay: 

No stream can be kept pure when the fountain is corrupt ; it must be 

cleared away. 
You have inoculated 5'our poisonous venom all over our land, 
And now you hang around the center to be fed in bands. 
I see, now, business seems to take a little different course, 
But it is no better; it's going on from bad to w'orse. 
It has the appearance as though they were going to disband now, 
As all robbers do when they get in a row. 
Tiiey are going to divide up ; of course they begin with the biggest 

thief. 
That is General Grant: he is now their great robber chief. 
Thirteen tliousand dollars, five hundred a year, he wants us bound; 
That won't do; that's too much; there won't be enough to go 

around. 
If you have started out on another damned robbing raid, 
Po not be such a hog ; there will be thousands of others to be paid. 
Mr. Grant, we will have you and your robbing band to know 
On us you cannot rivet chauis that gall and chafe us so. 
This is just the way that damned salary grab was plaj-ed, 
And all over our land beggars, paupers, and thieves it made. 
If this great nation j^ou are going to ruin and the spoils divide, 
Tliat.is to be seen yec, you can tell better after 30U have tried. 
It looks now as though that is what you are trying to do — 
You and your damned selfish, thieving, robbing crew 
If it is a division of all now that you are trying to make 
A share of that we all have, and that we intend to take, 
The principle of this governm.ent is equal rights to all mankind, 
And in that, too, we intend to have a share, you will find. 
A a for being made paupers and slaves by such as you. 
That jou and your damned robbing crew can never do. 
On scientific principles by this government^you was educated to fight, 
And you have turned robber-chief, doing it in broad daylight. 



THE horse's rescue. 255 

At fighting you may be good — you ought to be ; it is all you know. 

For the course you are taking now with this nation will show 

The principles of this government you do not understand ; 

If you do, so much the worse for you, you ought to be damned 

If fight is all you know, and that is what j^ou want to do, 

We will give you all you want before we get through. 

These sappers and leeches and robbers at the heart of our nation 

Are driving the supporters of it to despair and desperation. 

Nearly all of the blood on this green earth that has been shed, 

Has been caused by tyrannical laws that tyrants have made. 

Poor, blind, ignorant, selfish men you must be to think 

You can grind us down with taxes, and yourselves not sink. 

In order with success to run this fleet of our nation 

The laborers and producers must be in a prosperous condition. 

When hoggish, selfish, bad-principled men get the balance of power 

Through ignorance, tyrannical laws they will make, themselves to 

devour. 
For all crimes committed on this earth retribution must be made, 
Either before you leave this earth or after you are dead. 
This is the decree and law the creator has made for all ; 
On your own merits you must sink, rise, or fall 
No other provision the creator for us has ever made ; 
All sins committed by ourselves, by us they must be paid. 
All nations, when they get corrupted by their blind greed for gold, 
For this, sooner or later, to destruction they are sold. 
Now. this is just what all of this trouble in our nation is about; 
We will go the way all others have gone if it is not purged out. 
Like causes produce like effects; search the world around, 
No argument can be used ; to destruction they seem bound. 
All can see plain enough after it is too late; 
It will be no time then to grieve and mourn your sad fate. 
This will be the sad result, and that, too, very soon; 
This is the way of all nations — when corrupted, this is their doom. 
All men seem to have their sphere and bounds to fill, 
And all should in harmony live and show each other good will. 
But when selfish men make tyrannical laws, on us encroachments 

make, 
It causes all mankind then a different course to take. 
To live in shanties and hovels, and at last be crowded in prison 

pens, 



256 THE horse's rescue. 

It causes men to rise »ip and try themselves to defend. 

"Whether they can or cannot, they always have and always will try; 

It seems to be their nature; for liberty they will fight until they die 

Now these encroachments are talked and felt all over our nation, 

And if there is not a change soon, it will be laid waste ui desolation 

Capital to do business we must have, that we all well know; 

But it is a curse to this nation to spend it in pomp and show. 

From all business of this kind no returns can be had. 

It is only squandering the producers' money; no dividend:^ can be 

made. 
I suppose some think they are doing big things at the center of our 

nation, 
Squandenng our money building palaces all over God's creation. 
Of course in this robbing raid they must all have a share. 
Producers and laborers, you are the treasury ; take care, take care I 
Some are trying to save all they possibly can in this way, 
By converting all they have in bonds, then they will have no taxes to 

pay. 
This throws the whole burden on those that are the least able it to 

bear. 
Remember the principle of this country is equal rights; beware, be- 
ware! 
No laws that you have made do we recognize when your powers you 

exceed, 
No privileged ones in this government on us much longer can feed. 
Laws that you have made, no matter when or by whom they were 

made, 
The most of the burden on the laborer and producer is laid. 
My God! the most pitiful sight that a man ever can behold 
Is to look over this nation and see men robbing themselves for gold. 
In the course you are pursuing now, you will soon have to know 
You have been robbing yourselves ; you jiad better go slow. 
"When the time comes, with your plunder, where you can steer ; 
That is a mystery to me that I cannot see clear. 

When this robbing that you have begun all over our land breaks out, 
Then you will see the cause when it is too late, without doubt. 
It does not seem as though people would be such selfish blind, foola, 
By legislation to rob themselves and sail right into a whirlpool. 
In order for this fleet of or.r nation to successfully be run, 
Capital and labor must be balanced as iK'ar as it can be done. 



THE horse's rescue. 257 

As it is now them that is the best able have no taxes to pay ; 

In this way the whole fleet of our nation is balanced the wrong way. 

With interest on bonds, and idle capital in vaults doubling on us, 

With this, and many other robberies, will cause the boilers to burst. 

This great fleet of our nation out of balance cannot sail ; 

Do all you can to prevent, unless you change, it will fail. 

If out of balance you sail, it is easy enough to see 

In favor of the laborer and producer it should be. 

As it is now, you are killing the goose that lays the golden egg, 

Filling the prisons, poorhouses, insane asylums, causing them to beg, 

Now you seem to be bewildered in a fog, and failed ; 

You act as though your compass you had lost, rudder and sail. 

You have been drifting out of your course for a long time ; 

You cannot sail this great fleet in corruption and crime. 

Equal rights to all mankind hi this government it was to be, 

And in safety no other way it can be run, you will soon see. 

You will have all the business you want, the best you can do, 

If all are honest — pilot, mate, passengers, and crew. 

When robbers and traitors to the helm of the fleet of our nation turn. 
There will be trouble enough ; these facts you will soon learn. 
Unless the people all change their course, and right-about face. 

We will all sink together with this fleet in everlasting disgrace. 

For by trickery, bribery, and rascality the business is nearly all done; 

Some damned scoundrels started it, and in this channel they run, 

In order to keep pace in this blind race and keep up. 

To hell and destruction we are sailing and growing more corrupt. 

If in filth, carrion, crime, and corruption you try this fleel to wallow 
through. 

And all out of balanco the wrong way, that you can never do. 

If you want again to get this fleet of our nation afloat 

You must elect honest men when you come to vote. 

That will balance it up on the original plan, 

And that is equal rights to all, every man. 

Clear away the leeches and robbers so many to fee, 

Then you can get this great fleet of our nation at sea. 

How can anyone do anything with so many prowling around ? 

It would be a blessing to this ndtiou if some would get drowned. 

The first thing to be done is our expenses to curtail; 

There is no use trying to run so, if you do you will fail. 

Knock the wages down more than one-half on the wliole crew. 



258 THE horse's rescue. 

If you ever sail this fleet this is what yon will have to do, 

And throw out no more such attractive bait as that salary grab, 

That caused the people with corruption almost to go mad 

Next to be done will be to tax all property on the equalization plan ; 

Make all bear their part of the burden, both woman and man. 

Next, there should be only a small appropriation made, 

To set idle men to work with pick, shovel, and spade, 

To bury this old canal ; it stinks ; it has a long time been dead. 

There is no use of its having any more carrion to it fed. 



Now I will bid you all a hearty adieu, 

The whole entire, dishonest, robbing crew ; 

But I intend to keep watch to see tlie progression 

You make sailing this great fleet of our nation. 

I have sailed myself out of my course; 
I must tack ship and go to work on the horse, 
To follow you any longer, that I cannot safely do ; 
It would shipwreck and ruin me, as it has you. 

When a nation gets so selfish, so ignorant, and blind, 
As to rob themselves, there is no safety I find. 
When on themselves they make robbing raids, 
There is danger ahead, I am af rail. 

There does not seem to be any way to make them see — 
To be robbers of themselves they are bound to be, 
In rings and monopolies all over our land, 
To ruin themselves they are bound, if they can. 

When on you this great destruction and calamity comes, 
Do tell, what will with your plunders be done; 
When all are trying each other to devour. 
Who will stay the hand, then, of this unruly power? 

When at the center of our great nation it is begun, 
Whc.t then, do you think, to save this great fleet can be doi;ie ? 
When the people have no standard or center to rally round. 
When the old flag of seventy-six you have pulled down ? 

When thieves and robbers are at work at our nation's heart, 
Lookout, take care, beware ; that is the vital part. 



THE horse's rescue. 259 

You will have to stop that soon, without doubt, 
Or you will cause this nation's blood to all run out. 

For the love of money, selfish, avaricious greed 
Has caused other nations to suffer and to bleed ; 
And some themselves to death they have bled, 
And have become extinct, and now are dead. 

Unless you are more honest and liberal, jou will see, 
The same as it has been with others, with you it will be. 
If you are not more harmoniously united, every man. 
For a house divided against itself cannot stand. 

You will bring destruction down on your own heads ; 
In rapine, slaughter, and blood you will make your beds. 
It is liable at any time now to break out. 
And when it comes it will be like an avalanche, no doubt. 

No one can foretell in advance what will take place, 

It is easy to see ; it now stares you in the face. 

I mean just when the great crisis will come. 

That will be soon if there is nothing to prevent its being done. 

This avalanche, if they would, could be turned a different course. 
I must quit now and go to work on the horse, 
Poor old gray, a customer for you I have found ; 
He cannot tell that you were ever lame or unsound. 

All I want for you is just what I paid last fall ; 
The feed and work that I have done, you are welcome to it all ; 
And I will take you to the shop and shoe you all around new ; 
This will probably be the last for you I shall have a chance to do. 

For all this long winter's work on you I am well paid ; 
The lesson I have learned is enough, now I am not afraid. 
All stiff horses on this principle can be cured, I find ; 
The older they are, and of long standing tlie longer the time. 

Now I have got you shod all around, nice and new, 
I will bid you good-bye ; it may not be a final adieu. 
You look fine now ; good-bye, good-bye, poor old mare, 
I may come around again to see how you are. 



260 THE horse's bescuk 

After working almost night and day through this 
long, cold winter to demonstrate and satisfy myself 
what could be done for old stiff horses of long stand- 
ing, I found myself more than paid. I found in this 
seai'ch that this science, if followed up, would perform 
wonderful cures on all. This was to put the cap-sheaf 
on all of my experimenting. It went beyond all my 
expectation. I was surprised myself. " Novv," 
thought I, "I can tackle almost everything in the line 
of stifJ and lame horses, and this I am determined to 
do. This science I am going to introduce." This is 
the way I reasoned with myself : I have got the big- 
gest thing on this globe — and I have not changed my 
mind yet on that, neither can I. After all the 
searches of others, for no one knows how long, this 
complicated and difficult mystery they have not solved 
and cannot. This job on this old mare has com- 
pletely cleared the fog av/ay. No matter what the 
people say to the contrary, I am going to start out and 
try to introduce it in some new places. I know what 
I will have to contend with. It will be the same old 
music that I have heard so long. The first thing to 
be done will be to close up my shop and business in 
this place ; the next will be to have a fat pocketbook, 
for nothinty can be done without that toward introduc- 

o 

ing this great science ; that I have demonstrated to my 
satisfaction. ' 

Header, you may wonder where I got all my money 
at that time aside from what I earned in my shop. It 
was instalments and interest from a farm that I sold 
that 1 was using to rescue the suffering horse. After 
receiving my annual instalment, the next thing to be 



THK horse's rescue. 261 

done was to get some bills printed to advertise this 
great discovery and science and announce my coming. 
This bill was drawn up in this way: 

" PROF. GERA.RD DOAN, 
THE CHAMPION HORSE-SHOEE OF AMERICA, 

Having made horse-shoeing a business for many years, and study- 
ing the natural horse and all of the changes from the 
natural to the unnatural, its effect in all 
of the different changes, has 
made the great 
dis- 
covery how to cure 
foundered horses of long stand- 
ing — water, chest, and grain founder; perished 
shoulders ; remove all air-puffs, corns, coffin-joint lameness, 
hol)]ers, shufflers, single-footers, and horses that hop behind in speed- 
ing. All these cures I will perform without medicine. 
I will deliver lectures free. All owners 
of horses and mules will do 

well to attend. 
I will be at your place, etc. 

I did not advertise on this bill all I could do with, 
out medicine. I well knew this was more than thev 
could stand. I put on " professor " because I thought 
it would help me. They like the sound of these big- 
sounding titles. I have seen as big fools with " pro- 
fessor" attached to their names as I ever did without; 
and my attaching it to my name did not help me any, 
as experience proved. After this bill was drawn up, 



262 THK horse's rescue. 

I sailed for the city of Elmira to get it printed. The 
printer read it over. I said to him : " It's a big thing ; 
don't you think it is?" 

" Yes ; but I do not believe it." 

"You will print the bills, I suppose, if I will pay 
you?" 

"Yes." 

After arranging this bill with a cut of two fast- 
sailing trotters at the head, I closed a bargain with 
him to strike me off sixteen dollars' worth. After 
this job was completed I sailed forHorseheads. After 
my arrival I stood with my bundle of bills under my 
arm on the walk. A man drove up. He says to me : 

" Professor, one of my horses is lame ; the other is 
getting wind-puffs on him." 

While I was talking with him there was a stranger 
to me standing by. He heard our conversation. Af- 
ter our talk was ended I turned to walk away. He 
said to me, " Are you a veterinarian ?" 

" No ; I am not. I work on horses' feet. I have 
done that for many years, and I have made some 
quite big discoveries recently. I have been getting 
some bills printed preparatory to traveling and lectur- 
ing, and getting up schools to try and see if I can in- 
troduce it." 

"Come to our place first. I am a veterinarian. I 
will help you. I would like to travel with you. I 
can cure spavins, ringbones, pole-evil, and thistloes. 
I can work on the outside and pick up some money 
that way. I will do all of the posting bills and secure 
the halls to lecture in. If you will come to our place 
I will take some of your bills now and put them up 



THE HORPES' RESCUE. 263 

if jou will just fix the day and evening on them that 
you will be there.'' 

" Where do you live ?" 

" It is in the state of Pennsylvania." 

"How far is it?" 

*' Sixty miles." 

*'Is it a large place ?" 

"Oh, yes; it is a large, thriving business town, and 
lots of stiff and lame horses." 

" When I start this science in a place I have to stay 
some time to introduce it. I want a big field to work. 
There is no use stopping in a small place. This is a 
rather hard science to introduce. It is in advance of 
the age to cure horses without medicine. I will come 
to your place first. I will fix the time on some bills. 
You put these bills up in all of the public places, and 
secure a hall for the evening. I will be on the 
ground." 

After arranging matters at home by dividing my 
money with my wife, closing my house, she and my 
boy Frank left this town to visit their relatives and 
friends in Auburn city and other places, I was pre- 
pared for a long campaign battling for the horse. 
With my shoeing tools and bills in a heavy satchel, 
when the day came I set sail. I arrived in this town 
about noon. I must say I was never more disap- 
pointed in my life. I do not remember the place's 
name, neither do I remember this veterinarian's name. 
It was a little huddle down in a sunken place sur- 
rounded with high mountain peaks. There was no 
way I could see out without looking nearly straight 
up. One old run-down, dilapidated hoteh About 



264 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

the first object I saw in the form of a liuman being 
was one man who had another poor, drunken man by the 
nape of the neck, kicking him almost to death. There 
were two or three old stores. The first thing I did 
was to look and see where all of those bills were put 
up. I looked this town all over, and no bills could I 
find. I walked in the hotel, and inquired for and about 
my veterinary friend. They told me where he lived. 
I, with satchel in hand, walked up to his house. He 
sat on the verandah, tipped back in a chair, reading the 
news of the day. He seemed surprised to see me. I 
accosted him in this way : "The bills are not up, I 
see. How is this?" 

" Well, I showed them some. They did not be- 
lieve anything in it. They said it was a damn hum- 
bug." 

" Then you hav not secured any hall to lecture in ?" 

*'No." 

"Did you think they Vvould believe it could be 
done? This is just what our business is to teach 
them these principles, truths, and facts." 

I soon saw this man was of no use to me. He was 
entirely too weak in the knees and garret. Golly ! 
this is a hard battle to fight alone. I am not going to 
leave this town without giving them a brush. I am 
going to lecture in this town on the horse if there is 
not one man to listen. I am going to look this town 
over. I will get up some kind of a racket. 

I walked up to what they called a livery stable. 
There sat the proprietor on some rubbish. Pieces of 
old wagons, harness, and old boards were all over the 
floor. He sat with both elbows on his knees, his chin 



THE horse's RESCUE. 265 

resting on both hands to hold his head up. I ap- 
proached him, as cautiously as I knew how to, on the 
horse. I saw the condition of his row of fine horses 
at a glance when I first stepped in. It would not take 
a very close observer to see they were in a very bad 
condition. The whole row stood on piles of manure 
that elevated them behind at least a foot too hif^h. 
Some were ankle-cocked ; some off their base badly ; 
in fact, they were a hard-looking sight. In a round- 
about way I commenced to talk horse. I carefully 
closed upon him at last. I told him they could be 
cured without medicine. Then he exploded. He 
railed at me : 

" Do you think we are all damned fools here? Do 
3^ou think 3'ou can humbug us?'' 

There was no use in talking with him any more. 
There would be danger of getting some of that rub- 
bish over my head. Next I walked into a blacksmith; 
shop. I glanced around. I saw things were all kept 
in good order. The work all looked mechanic-like. 
There was some good work finished and partly fin- 
ished. Onlv one man was in this shop. I asked him 
if he was the proprietor. He said he was, and worked 
alone. I saw he had quite a head on him, though his 
body was very inferior. He was deformed, small, 
hump-shouldered. He did not look as though he was 
able to shoe horses. But he did, I saw, and his work 
looked well. I soon saw I could talk with him on 
the principles of working on the feet of horses. I 
had my pasteboard foot to show him the principles to 
work on. He soon saw the whole business. I spent 
about an hour with him. He was the most i 



266 THE horse's rescue. 

looking man I saw in that town, and the best me- 
cliaiiic. I visited two other shops and liad a cliut 
witli the owners. They stared at me when I lold 
them I could perform these cures without medicine on 
principles of science. They looked at me as thougli 
thej thought I was insane. Night came. A few col- 
lected in this little huddle. To leave this town with- 
out delivering a lecture on the horse I was deter- 
mined not to do. I saw some boxes on tlie steps of a 
store. I asked permission to take one. I rolled it 
across the walk in the street. I quietly got myself on 
tliis base to attract their attention. I commenced by 
a few introductory preliminaries, stating my business 
in their place ; my disappointment on account of the 
bills not being posted and no hall secured, and the 
faeld was too small to try to introduce this great 
science; but if you wi>l listem I will give you a short 
lecture here. This bugling atti-acted a iey^\ I sailed 
out at the same time. I kept wat'-'h of the crowd. It 
was not a large one, not more than five or six at one 
time. They would come and go. This changing was 
constantly going on ; it was rather discouraging to try 
to teach science in this way. I saw they stared at 
me a little while, then moved away. Others would 
do the same. There was one fine-looking man I saw 
staid at his post from the first. I saw he was inter- 
ested, and that induced me to go on. If it had not 
been for him I might just as well have been in the 
woods on a stump talking to trees. After this lecture 
was over I rolled the box back, and walked bnck to 
the hotel. I remained in this place part of the next 
day. While sitting in the hotel this listener to my 



THE horse's rescue. 267 

lecture came in, seated himself, and commenced to 
draw me out in conversation on the horse. Said he: 
"You are all right, stranger, but I do not believe you 
can introduce it. What will you take to teach me 
what you know about the horse? I am in earnest." 

" I do not know as I could teach you all I know on 
.the horse," I replied. "It has been a life-long study 
with me. If I was going to remain in this place I 
could and would teach you some very valuable les- 
sons." 

The remark I made to this man when he told me 
he did not think I could introduce this science was, 
*"I wdl or burst; that is, I will sink every dollar I 
have got, then earn more, and go at it again." 

After this noble-minded and gentlemanly man 
passed out. I inquired who he was. They said he 
was the physician of their place. At that time I com- 
menced to reason with myself in this way: It took 
me a long time to learn how to introduce it. I can 
see now that I sailed out before I was full rigged. I 
have got no bocks with these principles and rules laid 
down. They cannot remember all that I say to them 
if they listen. I must write a book. Here is the 
sticker — for me to convey all this in a book, and if I 
do, tliat will not sell as this matter now stands. They 
would call that a damned humbug, as they do me. 
That will not do yet. It must be introduced first bv 
doiiig the work in order to get good, reliable, substan- 
tial, noted scientific rnen for reference to put in the 
book. I am going to leave this town and sail to Au- 
buin city. I have a brother there, a horse-shoer, and 
another twenty miles from there. They are both 



268 THE horse's rescue. 

good woi'kers on the horse's feet. I am going to en- 
list tliem in this liorse fight That will be easy 
enough to do, for thej liave been and are now trjnng 
to solve this mystery, I sailed for Auburn. On my 
way I stopped at my brother Oliver's place of busi- 
ness. He wa.s located in a small inland town at that 
time surrounded with a beautiful country and well-to- 
do farmers. I walked into his shop. He was seated 
on a sav/-horse. I shall never forget how he looked, 
tiled and sick, thin in flesh, cheeks sunken, eyes the 
same. "What's the matter, Ob?" said I. 

'' Well, the fact is," said he, "I am about used up. 
I am nearly ridden to death with so many crippled 
and stiff liorses. They come pouring in on me from 
many miles away. They keep me nearly all of my 
time holding them up. I can fix them up, and do, 
some that are very bad, but it is killing business for 
me, and small pay. I can hardly live out of it." 

I said : " I have got something I want to show you. 
I have come on purpose to do this. It solves tlie 
whole mystery we have so long been trying to find 
out. I can tell you how you can cure all of these 
stiff horses." 

I took out of my satchel my pasteboard hoof, and 
explained the principles it was done on. He saw 
it all at a glance. 

''That will do it, I know," said he. 

In a few words it was all made clear to him. He 
could do it as well as I could. His long experience 
and the progression he had made enabled him to grasp 
this new discovery instantly. It wu3 what he had 
been many years reaching after. 



THE horse's rescue. 2 (.9 

"Oliver," said I, *'I am going to Auburn to see 
Joseph. I want you and him to help me introduce 
this science." 

''You will meet with a power of opposition in 
many ways," said he. 

•'Tiiat I care nothing about," I replied. "I have 
been pulverized through that mill. I wniit to beat 
them if I can. I am ahead here. If you will take 
hold of this they never can excel you ; equal is all 
they can do." 

After staying over night, the time all spent talking 
liorse, I sailed for Auburn city. I found Joseph in 
his shop wrestling with all kind of cripples. I soon 
found a way to let my business be known. 

"Jo," said I, "when you have leisure I have got a 
big thing on the horse I want to show you." 

"I thought you had got something,*' he replied, 
" or you would not be around. If you liave got any- 
thing new on the horse I want to learn it. I will be 
one of your scholars." 

After explaining what I could do with a horse's 
foot, he said : 

"If you can do that, and not produce any inflamma- 
tion, that is all I want to know ; that will do the whole 
business. I want to see that done." 

"We must have a horse." 

" I wdll find a horse. There are stiff liorses enough ; 
you can hardly find one but what is stiff." 

" We want one that is bad." 

" I know of one that we can get. She is six years 
old. She is so stiff that after driving her, when she 



270 THE horse's rescue. 

comes in the stable, she is so sore that she will lie 
down nearly all the time." 

" You will find it will bother us some to get these 
horses to work on. Their owners are afraid we will 
spoil them." 
' " We can hny them." 

'' We do not want the horses. The best way I have 
found is to hold ourselves responsible for the horse. 
There is no risk to run caused by the work we will do 
on them This saves their lives many times." 

"All right; that we will do. I will have a horse 
before night." 

Business was hurried up in the shop. We got the 
six-year-old mare. She was owned by Mr. Westlake. 
By holding ourselves responsible for one hundred and 
fifty dollars if she-did not come out all right, we got 
full control of her. She was fed and kept in Joe's 
barn. , ... 

The next day after my arrival we were at work on 
a horse. Only one bill was put up, and that was in 
Joe's shop. This work was commenced in Auburn 
city over eight years previous to the date of this book. 
This mare was badly off her base on all of her feet. 
On her hind legs above her ankles were large air-puffs. 
The woik on this mare was done all at one time; that 
is, her feet were all prepared and expanded at one 
time. Slie was changred back to natural at once; that 
is, the cause was removed. Mr. Westlake was to see 
this work done. I well knew it would not do to let 
him see it. It would have brought the whole town 
down on us. After the feet were prepared they were 
all made soft 



THE horse's rescue. 271 

"All ready," Joseph said ;^" we must have West- 
liik(^ liei-e now to see ibis work done." 

'• No," said I: '' thiit will not do. We must put the 
harness on her first, and have the wagon in readiness 
at the door to hitcli her on as quick as her feet are 
spread. If we do not we will have her down. We 
must pat her in motion, then she will soon recover 
from the chansfe." 

The spreading was all done as quick as it could be, 
with care and by measure. There is no kind of use 
to write any more about how much these horses' feet 
are spread, they vary so, and on the same horse. 

After this work was done we hitched her to the 
wagon and sailed out of the city a few miles and back 
into town. Joseph got out to go in a store on busi- 
ness and left me sitting in the wagon. After a short 
time this mare began to balance over back and for- 
ward, and acted as though she was about to fall. She 
did not have the control of herself j^et enough to 
keep on her eqaiiibrinm. This is the way they all 
will be more or less, according to the degree of change. 
While sitting in the wagon the people gathered 
around. They asked me what ailed my horse. I re- 
plied, " I guess she is all well enough." *' That mare 
is sick ;" " she ought to be taken out of the harness;" 
*' she is dying now ;" " she ought not to be driven any 
more." 

While this was going on around me, Joseph came, 
jumped into the wagon, and we sailed out of that 
crowd of bewildered people to the barn, put the mare 
up for the night, and cared for her the same as I have 



272 THE horse's kescue. 

done for all others. When it came time to retire, I 
said to Joseph: "I am going to bed. I am tired." 

^' Are you not going to do anything to that inare's 
feet to night?" 

'•No; she is all right." 

'* Her feet will be turned all wrong side out before 
morning." 

'*You can tell better in the morning. I will pay 
for her if they are." 

When I got up Joseph was in the barn caring for 
his horses. 

*' Joj how are the mare's feet?"' 

*' They are cold ; there is no heat in them." 

'' That is boss ; that settles the whole thing. The 
air-puffs are all gone; she begins to show her deform- 
ity; it will take time to bring that back. Work and 
exercise will bring that all right after the cause is re- 
moved on all horses; but remember it must be kept 
removed. We will let her rest awhile. We went to 
the shop. Joseph had hands at work for him. When 
we got there the shop was full of horses. There was 
a long row there waiting to have their feet ironed. 
Joseph, with hat in his hand, walked up and down 
this row of horses, looking them over, I suppose, to 
see what condition they were in. After he had looked 
them all over, he swung his hat around over his head 
and said, " I can cure every horse in this shop without 
a particle of medicine." 

There were several standing around. 

" Hold on, Jo," said I. "They will call you crazy, 
as they have me ; you will get in the lunatic asylum 
the first you know." 



THE horse's rescue. 273 

My advice did not stop bis bugle. He kept it 
going. Tbat helped me. Mine could rest a little. 
Tbis is making a little start in this place, sure. Said 
Jo: "I bave got a six-year-old mare ; her legs stock 
up behind; one is "swollen very bad. I have used 
lots ot liniments. I cannot take it out. She inter- 
feres badly, too. I bave shod her beavy and light, in 
all ways I can tbink of, but it bas all done no good.'' 

" Put a pail- of spreaders on her, Joe ; put the struc- 
ture of her feet in harmony of action, and the swell- 
ing will leave so quick the skin will be all loose on 
her legs. It will stop ber cutting her legs off at tbe 
same time." 

She was soon in tbe sbop. Joe did this work him- 
self. AVe spread her feet, and bitched her to the 
wagon. It tbrew her on ber base, and she traveled at 
once about eight inches apart. Tbe swelling did go 
out, and left tbe skin loose. So much money thrown 
away for liniments. This will work the same on a 
large per cent of all the borses on this globe. This 
fever bas its rise from internal heat in the foot, caused 
by being out of barmony of action. It is not neces- 
sary any longer to wi-ite all tbe particulars about how 
I worked on tbe d'fferent horses in this city. The 
principles are already laid down in tbis work ; that is, 
as far as I bad got at tbat time. I made some new 
discoveries after I left tbis citv. 

For six weeks brotber Joseph and myself battled 
for the horse early and late. Dui-ing this time we op- 
erated on quite a number of borscL-. It did not seem 
to get advertised, and this was the reason the people 
would get their horses cured and say nothing about it 



274 THE horse's rescue. 

Thej thought it would injure the sale of them if the 
people knew thej had ever been stiff; or if they did 
sell them ani they ever got stiff again, no matter 
what the cause was that made them so, they would be 
likely to get into a lawsuit ; and that is the case many 
times, and this is caused bjn'gnorance. If this science 
was understood it would save a vast amount of trouble 
from that source and man)- othei's. 

"Joseph,"' said I, one day, '' I am going to leave this 
place now. I will leave the unfinished jobs in your 
care to finish up." 

I made no charges ; presented no bill to any man. 
This is the place where I received five dollars from 
Mr. Hatch for curing his horse. He insisted on my 
taking it, and would willingly give me four times as 
much more. He knew me, and had for many years. 
He told me, " Take my horse, cure him, and I will 
pay you your own price." Joe did the work on this 
horse. I shared equally with him. That left me two 
and a half dollars, v\rhich is all the reward I have ever 
I'eceived from any man for work done for them aside 
from shoeing in my long life of foi'ty-one years bat- 
tling for the horse 

I must tell 3^ou a little story about Mr. Hatch's 
horse, then I will leave Auburn city. Mr. Hatch, 
hearing I was in the city at work on horses, looked 
me up. Said he: '*' I have a horse; he is a good 
seven-year-old horse; he is stiff, unable to work. He 
was so when I gjot him. I traded for him. I want 
you to go and look at him." 

"I will do so." 

This horse was turned out in a low, wet pasture. 



THE horse's rescue. 275 

We found him standing in this position : hind parts at 
least eighteen inches higher than his forward parts, 
with his forward feet in the mud and water. He had 
phaced himself in this position to save the strain on 
the back tendons. He could stand more comfortable 
in this way. The mud and water helped keep the 
fever and heat out of his feet at the same time. In 
fact, he could hardly move around. We pulled him 
out of the mud, and got him on hard ground. He 
was a large, noble, fine-looking young horse, with iiat- 
tish, good feet. I took out my foot hook to clean out 
his feet. He had shoes on. While cleaning out his 
feet I came to some tow or cotton packed under the 
shoe at the toe. I commenced to dig it out. I knew 
it was of no use, no matter what it was. 

" What is this, Mr. Hatch ?" 

''Well, a veterinarian that has charge of the street- 
car horses toU me he could cure him by bleeding him 
in the toe, then turn him out ; so I had that done." 

"How much blood did he take out?" 

"About ten quarts; five quarts to each foot." 

"And here he is in this mud hole vet?" 

"Yes ; and I want him to work." 

"What do you want to do with him ?" 

"I want to draw hay." 

"You can have him to-morrow." 

Reader, such ignorance as this ought to be exposed. 
Men calling themselves veterinarians, who do not 
know anything only to make bad worse and torture 
horses in this way and many others. 

I told Mr. Hatch what ailed his horse. I towed him 
to the shop, and now I will tell you his feet were con- 



276 THE horse's rescue. 

tracted some, as almost all horses are that have had 
their feet ironed. This was not the worst trouble 
with this horse. He was badly thrown off his base by 
cutting his heels too low and not cutting the toe down, 
leaving the toe at least one inch and a half too long. 
This was a short job to remove the cause of all of this 
poor horse's trouble. His feet were soft; he had 
soaked them himself. I did the work on this horse. 
This wonderful wise veterinarian had commenced at 
the toe of this horse's foot ; cut back towards the point 
of frog crossways at least two inches deeper as he 
went back ; he had cut a large hole through in this 
useless hoof in order to reach the sensitive part of tlie 
membrane, as it is called by some. This had been 
done long enough so nature had in a measure repaired 
the damage. The first thing we did for this horse was 
to pare these feet well down at the toe until this hole 
was all gone, cutting but little from the heel, just 
enough to true and level his feet up; cupped them 
out preparatory to spreading his feet and letting the 
sole down to its proper place. We spread this horse's 
feet five-eighths of an inch, and shod him on his hind 
feet. Toward night I led him home, standing on his 
toes. He balanced back and forward a little. I ex- 
plained that to Mr. Hatch ; told him he would be over 
that in the morning. He could put him to work. It 
would be better to do so. He pulled out his money to 
pay me. 

''You had better wait and see how you like the 
job," said I. '' I will come and see how he gets along 
in a few days," 

I did so. He was drawino^ hav. This horse was on 



THE horse's rescue. 277 

his base, head up, limber, about half a neck ahetid of 
his mate, and was the liraberest of the two. Mr. 
Hatch pulled out his money to pay me. I charged 
him live dollars. It was not the money I wanted; it 
was to introduce this science. Some may oall this 
bragging. I will say right here that when all such 
men as they get this great science learned, after somo 
one else has studied it out and perfected it, the^^ will 
have more to brag about than they have now: It is 
not my intention to write the experience of my broth- 
ers w^orking on the horse. They enlisted in this horse 
fight, and have been at it ever since, and show no 
signs of giving it up. I have got it started in two 
places, by two practical men of long experience, 
working on the horse. 

Now I will sail back to the old battleground in 
Horseheads. When I started out on this campaign I 
sold out all of my interest in my shop. I soon secured 
another, a good, new shop, rigged up; all stocked up 
new. "I must have money," said I, "or I shall be 
shipwrecked soon in this way." I did not put up any 
sign. I never had a sign on my place of business, but 
one, in all of the places I have done business in. 
I soon found a way to call trade. When I saw a lame, 
crippled horse I went for him. It soon spread, and in 
a short time I was overrun again with horses. This is 
the way I always advertise when I commence i;i a new 
place; but this was no new place; this was tlie place 
where I got jerked out of a wagon head-first for talk- 
ing for the horse. It is not necessary to write ;ill the 
particulars about this second attack on this town, 
battling for the horse, only enough to lay down some 



278 THE horse's rescue. 

principles that will be of use to the horse and his 
owner. My life I never intended to write, and I well 
know no one else can. Neither do I care to spend my 
time in that way. So I will hasten along W'ith this 
work. While battling in this town a man came to my 
shop to get a horse shod. His name was Wix. He 
w^as a teamster. BLis was a large, middle-aged hoise, 
thin in flesh. He was badly off. It was all he con Id 
do to stand ; he was thrown back off his base on all 
of his legs; his hind feet wei'e thrown forward so 
much by this same cause I have written of that he 
appeared about to go over backwards. 

"Mr. Wix," said I, '* that horse is so far gone I do 
not think I can balance him by shoeing; and I do not 
think he can stand on the other leg if I was sti'ong 
enough to hold him up. He will break down on one 
leg. He cannot stand, that I know^ ; but I will try 
him." 

After balancing him on his forward feet first, which 
helped him some, I tried him on one hind foot. After 
lifting and tugging along time, with a large proportion 
of this heavy horse's weight thrown on me, Mr. Wix 
on the opposite side trying to hold him up, that is, 
from going over sidewise, I finally, by main strength, 
raised his foot. The other leg gave out, being able to 
hold but very little weight. The lever tipped liim 
over, and down he went flat on the floor. Mr. Wix 
pounded him, and after struggling a while he managed 
to get on his feet again. This was in the heat of the 
summer, and a very hot day. 

" Mr. Wix," said I, " this horse will not be of use 
to you if we do shoe him ; he cannot be balanced by 



THE horse's rescue, 279 

shoeing so he can work or stand long. I do not tliiidc 
he can stand on one leg long enough to shoe. ' 

Mr. Wix said he coald hold him up. He must have 
him shod, so at it he went. After struggling a long 
time he manas^ed to raise a foot. Down went tlie 
horse broadside ; then he must be pounded up again. 
Wix tried it again with like result. I did not like to 
give this job up, so I tried a new plan. The hor=e luid 
shoes on, and his feet were quite long. I cut the hoof 
ofif at the toe and around; cut the nails out in this 
way. We got the shoes off, then cut the hoof away 
on the under side at the toe. That helped him some ; 
it let him go forward on his base a little. Then I tried 
him again. After a hard struggle for me and him, 
Wix holding him all he could to keep him from fall- 
ing over, I succeeded in getting his foot up vrithout 
his falling. I worked as fast as I could, cutting the 
hoof away at the toe, holding his weight at the eame 
time; holding his foot up only a short time and 
chansfing legs often. In this way I let his body go 
back on his basebv desfrees. After a ]on^, hard stru;:;- 
gle I got him shod. In this way I sliortened his toes 
nnd pared them down at heel and toe, the toe the 
most ; gave him a long shoe at the heel ; corking tlie 
shoes the highest at the heel. This was the best I 
could do, shoeing this poor horse^ and as well as any 
man can do for a horse in like condition without ex- 
|)anding the foot and putting the structure of the foot 
in harmony of action, which his was fearfully out of 
order. 

Reader, you may ask. " Wh}^ did not you do that?" 
You ought to know by this time. Hov/ can a man do 



280 THE horse's RESCl'E. 

anything when others will not let liim? — when they 
v/ill only gather around him and fight, and blart a lot 
of nonsense? 

After a few days Mr. Wix came into the shop. 

"Doan, that horse is dead." 

"How is that?" 

"I found him down this mornins: ont doors on the 
manure pile, unable to rise. I took the axe and 
knocked him in the head, and took him to the bone- 
yard." 

''How did he get outdoors? " 

" The door of the stable was behind his stall. He 
broke his halter and knocked the stable door off tlie 
hinges " 

The fact is, he was tipped over backwards with con- 
traction and leverage, as thousands are. This lever 
works both ways, and there is a power in it. It has 
tipped this horse over; and the discovery of this will 
tip over and shove from the base some institutions, so 
that no power can put them back, built as they are on 
false teachings and no principles or foundations, only 
tinkering at the effect. 

There are two levers that tip horses over back- 
wards. They both work in harmony of action; they 
are both caused b}^ contraction ; the fulcrum of both 
is at the center of the foot, above the coffin-joint. One 
runs up the leg ; the other runs out at the toe, beyond 
the point of hoof. That is not seen, and yet it is 
equal in length to the other. When any degree of 
contraction takes place, the levers both start at the 
same time. They are connected at the center; they 
are not independent of each other when contraction 



THE horse's rescue. 281 

takes place. The useless growth of hoof on the toe, 
if there is no contraction, is the end of the lever. How 
can these poor horses stand, thrown in this position ? 
Feet moved forward, or body back — have it either 
w'ay if 3^011 please, it is all the same — this lever run- 
ning up the hind leg to the extreme point of the horse, 
with two-thirds of his w^eight at the end of the lever, 
and with his feet thrown forward, caused by contrac- 
tion. Follow that lever down to the fulcrum ; look 
the horse over ; look at that lever-purchase breaking 
him down; then look at the one on the toe of equal 
length working in harmony with it, one lifting, the 
other pulling dowm. There is some power, I want you 
to know and see. These principles will not lie, nor 
can they be ruled out. Contraction works the sanie 
on all of the feet on all horses expanding too much. 
I have explained that the length of these levers vary 
on the same horse. The length they can get is accord- 
ing to the size of the horse and the degrees of con- 
traction. "When the horse gets as bad as Wix's was^ 
the lever is farther away from the fulcrum, as long as 
the horse's leg is, and to the extreme point behind, I 
mean as far as the horse's body extends. Of course 
there could not be any lever beyond where there is 
weio^ht. On this horse science, w^hen a horse is 
thrown in this way, there is no power that can raise 
him except his foot is expanded, or it can expand 
itself as his creator intended it should. Reader, I 
want vou to understand that these poor horses endure 
some suffering before this takes place. This is called 
by the ignorant, strained across the loin. About that 
they are right. The horse is strained across the 



282 THE horse's rescue. 

loin, and badlj too ; but the cause they know nothing 
of. A horse thrown in this way will struggle hard to 
retain his feet, and many times he is crammed witii all 
kinds of trash, bled and blistered, when the cause all 
lies in his feet. 

In the fore part of this work I left a horse that had 
not been balanced up. He was badly off his base. 
He had become spavined. He went over backwards, 
and horses would go more off their bose were xXxay not 
divided against themselves. Being on their base for- 
ward saves them somewhat. Sometimes it will not 
do that. When they get very bad behind they must 
go down. Being on a constant strain all of the time, 
and drawing loads, or traveling in any way, and rising 
over that lever, all out of harmon}^, the}'' are soon 
I'uined in a greater or less degree. To balance them 
■up only adds more effects in number. By splitting it 
■up it only makes this entanglement more complicated. 
Not a cause is removed. It prolong^s their snft'eringfs. 
Sometimes, and many times, it causes their death by 
suffering. I have seen lots of this kind. 

After battling alone in this town, working on all 
kinds of cripplcvS, from far and near, ten months, not 
one soldier could I enlist to take hold of this science. 
My health was fast giving out, and money too. I de- 
cided to sell my property and try a new field. I soon 
did this. When I wanted to sell I alwaj^s put on a 
selling price. It always went. I collected all I could 
by asking for it. Some I took in promises that have 
never been fulfilled. The old gray mare I sold on one 
year's time ; that is due now. I must collect that. I 
Vfant to see her, and see how she fares, and see if she 



THE horse's rescue. 283 

s limber yet. She is four miles away, if themaonwns 
her yet that I sold her to. I had not seen this mare 
from the time I sold her, nor her owner. I went on 
foot. I found all at home. The man paid me. I told 
him I wanted to see her. We went to the barn. She 
stood there with a row of horses, with a rack of black, 
moldy hay before her, and with plenty manure enough 
to lie on ; very poor and dirty ; no one could have 
sworn for certain she was the same mare I sold to him 
one year previous. 

I did not let him know what I wanted to see this 
mare for. There was a boj'' stood by. I told him I 
would like to see her move off a little. She had shoes 
on. This boy was soon on her back, sailing her up 
and down the road. I saw at a glance she was limber, 
and more so about the shoulders than she was when I 
sold her. That was what I went four miles on foot 
through deep mud to see if working another 3'ear 
after the cause was removed would make any more 
improvement. It did. She was as limber as any 
horse, and had as good knee action as she ever had. 
In that all horses vary some. I asked him if she ever 
had been lame in any way since he owned her. He 
said shj§ had not. 

Reader, this man never knew this mare had ever 
been stiff or lame before he bought her, and he does 
not know what mare it is ; neither does any that once 
knew her, except the Woodrough brothers. I found 
out what I went for, and sailed hom.e. 

Next thing was to look up a new field. I set sail- 
I made up my mind to start somewhere in the. lake 
country. I stuck my stake at Lake Ridge, six miles 



284 THE horse's rescue. 

from where I commenced to learn the trade of horcc- 
shoeing, and four miles from the place I first started 
business for myself. Lake Ridge is situated on tlie 
east bank of that beautiful sheet of water Lake Cay- 
uga, with as beautiful surrounding country as a man 
ever looked at. In a very short time I had a new 
shop erected in a cheap, rough manner. All I wanted 
was to work on the horse. That was to be my busi- 
ness in this place, and I wanted no other. I put up 
one bill in this shop, and went for the first cripple 1 
could get. I was soon overran with all kinds. I did 
not say much about spreading horses' feet for several 
months. I well knew that would scare them away; 
stopping them from interfering, balancing, equalizing 
their weight on their feet; straightening run-over feet, 
and many other troubles the horse is suffering with, 
caused by shoeing, was what I did and talked about. 
I will give you a few lessons. While I was in this 
place a stranger led in a pair of horses. He wanted a 
shoe set. I saw one was lame and stiff on his forward 
feet. While setting the shoe on the other I learned 
they were young and twins. They were a good pair. 
I said to him : 

"Would you like to have that other horse cured?" 

*'Yes." 

" How long has he been stiff and lame ?'' 

"It is about two vears." 

"I will cure him for the price of shoeing." 

"You may shoe him." 

All that ailed this horse was run- over feet. In ten 
days he was nearly well, and soon recovered entirely. 
This man told me after his horse got well about taking 



THE horse's rescue. 285 

him to Prof. Law, of Cornell University, to have him 
examined. This horse had a ver}^ small enlargement 
on the inside of his leg. The professor told him that 
was the cause of his lameness, charged him twelve 
shillings, and wrote a prescription to get filled that 
cost ten shillings. The horse must not be worked 
while under treatment. The man could not get along 
with his work at that time without using this horse, 
so the medicine was never used. I shod that horse 
over three years. lie was all right as far as the most 
of people can see. He was not lame. So much for 
professors. 

This is only one case of hundreds of this kind that 
I balanced up while I staid in that place. After get- 
ting a good run of business and well established I 
thought I would venture a little further. It would 
not kill my business dead. If it did scare some away, 
there had got to be more cripples than I wanted. 

Mr. Jefferson lived near this place. He was the 
owner of a stallion. I had seen him several times. 
He was badly off his base on his forward legs; his 
knees were badly tipped, weak, and shook ; cords 
seemed thick; legs swelled. This horse was well 
along in years, and had been in this condition a long 
time. I said to Mr. Jefferson : 

*' Would you like to have that horse's legs straight- 
ened and all the swelling taken out so 3'ou could see 
the cords and tendons clear down to his feet?" 

''Well, yes, I would if it could be done." 

"Well, sir, it can be done. He can be made as 
natural as he ever was." 

I told him all about how I would do it, and how he 



286 THE horse's rescue. 

would be afflicted. For a short time he would be af- 
fected more on oce leg than the other. That would 
cause him to limp. It would last only a short time on 
this horse. 

I did not put on spreaders. This horse I could fix 
without. He was a heavy horse. His weight was 
over the center of his foot. His heels were too high, 
contracted some. The principles are already laid down 
in this work that I do this woi'k on. There are only 
a very few hoi'ses that can be cured in this way. This 
was one of that kind. I mean expanding by their 
own weight. 

To cut this story short, I gave him directions what 
treatm.ent to give the horse : Soak and wash the cords 
in warm water; drive. In a short time all would 
come right. Away he went for home. I well knew 
I liad started a racket, but there is nothins: like beins: 
prepared for it. In a day or two I saw Mr. Jefferson 
drive past my shop. His horse was lame. He stopped 
at the hotel across the way from ni}^ shop. He sat on 
the verandah, looking over toward my shop. I was 
in my shop at work, at the same time watching his 
movements. I wanted to have a talk with him. He 
showed no signs of com.ing to the shop. I left my 
work, walked over and sat down on the verandah. I 
saw he looked rather sober. Said I: 

"Mr. Jeffei'son, how is the horse?" 

"He is awful lame. I wanted to go about three 
miles further, but I think I had better go home. It 
will not do to drive him. If I get home with him I 
will do well." 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 287 

"You know, Mr. Jefferson, I told you in advance 
how this would all be." 

"Yes; I know you did." 

"If you will do as I told you, you will come out 
all right, and 3^oar horse the same. Drive your horse 
where you want to go. Before you get back he will 
be nearly over his lameness, and wdll gradually get 
strong and better all of the time until he is entirely 
well." 

He started out. His horse was quite lame. After 
he had gone, there was a man who told me what Jef- 
fei'son said before I came over from the shop. He did 
not tell me anything new. I had been through the 
mill. He said, " I guess I have let that old fool spoil 
my horse." This is not all the place lie told it. I 
knew he would before I commenced to work on his 
horse. I cared nothing for that. They nearly all do 
the same. I well knew he would be my friend in the 
end, and he was, and is now, as far as working on the 
horse is concerned. 

In a short time Jefferson drove in the place. He 
said he had been where he wanted to go, and had come 
out of his wav to tell me that before he o^ot three miles 
his horse was entirely over his lameness. 

" He has got over the change now," said I. "You 
will have no more trouble." 

His tune was chanired in mv favor. 

Now this horse's head had began to come up. In a 
short time he had as clean, straight, tapering legs as 
any colt. Mr. Jefferson said it added seventy five 
dollars to his value at once. This job did some adver- 



288 THE horse's RESCl E. 

tisirjg, but that was not all I wanted. * I wanted them 
to learn and know how this was done. 

When I first commenced in this place, the landlord 
bought a good four-year-old horse. I stood near when 
they was looking this horse over. I saw he was off 
his base. Of course it is no business of mine. They 
are nearly all so in some degree, greater or less. I did 
not have anything to say. I saw he had a hard, horn- 
like foot, and he would be likely to have me shoe him. 
He would be kept up in the stable ; he would grow 
worse and get sti£f, in spite of all I could do, in a short 
time; and he did graduall}^ grow worse. The winter 
before he was sick; in the spring he would get down, 
or cast, and had to be helped np, caused by contrac- 
tion throwing him off his base or balance, and fasten- 
ing him there. This winter he stood in the stable 
nearly all of the time. His owner did not have much 
for his horses to do. He did not get out much him- 
self, his health not being very good. Time slipped 
away unperceivcd, and this liorse stood with his shoes 
on all winter, without being reset or having his feet 
cut down. His feet had grown high and long in this 
condition, all out of harmony of action. They gave 
him a thirty-two mile drive after a load, up and down 
heavy hills, which about floored him. He was so sore 
and stiff he could hardly move. He would not move 
unless he was made to. Of course I was always around 
when these wrecks took place. I knew about what 
time they would take place. I told Mr. Ives, for that 
was his name, what ailed his horse, and I thought I 
could cure him. " I can remove the cause of all of 
his trouble. It will be a hard job ; his feet are in 



THE horse's rescue. 289 

about the worst condition of any I ever worked on." 
After making a conditional bargain with him, I went 
to work on this horse. Reader, here is a lesson. I 
dread to tackle this horse again. His feet were very 
high. About half-way from the top of his foot to the 
bottom, they were pinched in all around. H3 had to 
be changed by degrees. This shell could not be all 
cut away at once. I cut his feet down as far as I 
could, and spread them. They were as hard as they 
could be ; it took a long time to get them soft enough 
to operate on with safety. At this time I did not have 
control of this horse. I exercised him myself. This 
was a tough job, I wanted this horse used every day. 
In about four weeks I took off his shoes, cut his feet 
down, spread again, and so on every four weeks. I 
wanted to do, but I could not have him in m}^ control 
to do as I liked » so I quit and let liim go, I kept 
watch of him. His shoes were allowed to remain on 
three months. His toes got long; the structure of his 
foot was nowhere in harmony of action when I quit 
him. He was not driven on the road. At that time 
of the year he was working on the farm, plowing, and 
putting in crops in the spring. It did not hurt him to 
rise over that lever on soft ground as bad as it did 
when he was sailed on the hard road. He took one of 
these sails; it wrecked him at once. Of course I was 
around again. This poor horse was in a terrible suf- 
fering condition. I told Mr. Ives what ailed his horse. 
He thought the trouble all lay in his shoulder. He 
did not have much shoulder ; he was deformed so. 
This time he was so stiff he had to be pulled along. 
Mr. Ives I saw was getting discouraged about his horse 



290 THE horse's rescue. 

He was not such a horse as he wanted. He made him 
so much trouble that he began to talk of taking liim 
off to have his shoulders doctored, or dispose of liim 
in some way. I made up my mind, while I was 
around looking at this poor horse, to rescue him, let it 
cost what it would. I said to Mr. Ives : 

" What will you take for this horse ? " 

"You dare not make me an offer." 

"Oh, yes, I dare. I will give you fiftj^ dollars." 

" He is yours." 

I pulled him across the road to my barn. Kow I 
have got this horse in my control. Whether I can 
cure this horse or not, I can help him wonderfully in 
about one hour by dressing his feet down. There was 
no time lost until this job was completed. I put on a 
pair of spreaders, cutting his feet, and letting him go 
back on his base some. I soon had both of his feet 
in warm water, soaking, washing his legs and cords. 
I soaked his feet the remainder of that day, and packed 
them at night. The next day I drove him eight 
miles and back, up and down heavy hills single, and 
he drew a heavy load of stock for my shop. He 
sailed very comfortablj^, no limping, and yet all the 
cause I had removed then was what I cut off his toes ; 
that shortened the lever some. After making his feet 
as soft as I could, I spread them about three-eighths of 
an inch. Of course it affected him badly at first. 
The shell and sole of his feet were just like horn, and 
did not seem to have any life in them. The shell was 
completely dead and shrinking all around the sensitive 
part of his feet. When I spread his foot I did not see 
the shell come down. He was on his base ; his weight 



THE horse's rescue. 291 

was nearly over the center of his feet, and yet it did 
not press the sole down. This was a hard-meated, 
sti'ong, ambitious horse. This sole must be got down 
according to the degree I have spread his foot, or there 
will be trouble. To do this I led him out of the shop. 
He was badly off his base, caused by my spreading 
his feet. His feet internally were very sore ; any 
change either way would affect him badly. A num- 
ber were standing around. I put a boy on the horse 
and told him to run him a hundred rods and back, 
The road was dry and hard. After he returned I 
looked to see if the sole had come down. I cleaned 
tlie dirt all out under the shoe. It was not down as 
far as it ought to come by spreading his feet three- 
eights of an inch. "Give him another sail." I looked 
to see what effect that had. The sole was nearly down 
flat on the shoe. "That will do." It made him step 
short. His feet must be put in warm water a short 
time. Next, pack his feet, give him a good, dry, soft 
bed, so he can lie down and rest and sleep. 

Of course while this running business was going on 
in the streets, it called out remarks. Some said they 
would not have a stiff horse used that wa}^ All this 
bugling I cared nothing about. I knew what I was 
doins: and thev did not. I was the owner of the horse 
and could control him. It took this horse ten or 
twelve days to recover every time I expanded his feet, 
and that I did once a month for a longr time. Some- 
times I would be sailing all right, or nearly so; once a 
month I would be partly wrecked. Every time this 
took place, I could hear this : "That horse is worse; 
I guess you will never do much for that horse. 



292 THE horse's rescue. 

j^.fter working on him many montbs to get rid of 
that old, dead, lifeless shell, his foot was smaller than 
it was when I first commenced. How is this? I had 
got up to the small place in his foot. Now I can go 
ahead. Now I have got where I can flatten out his 
foot and it begins to show more life. Remember, this 
horse did all of my work, long and short drives, and 
was driven on purpose to give him work, and I had all 
the exercise I wanted in the shoD at the same time, 
balancing cripples ; in fact, it was getting red-hot for 
me. So I made up my mind to have a little rest after 
getting up my crippled horse in good shape. To leave 
for a while, I sailed out. I had business in New York, 
Washington, and Chicago, tracking up a shipwreck 
somebody h:id made of one of my invtntions. To please 
myself I wanted to find the cause of it — that is, where 
it was located. It had made quite a racket for many 
years. I hauled in at the center of this, our great re- 
public. I always had time to spend looking after the 
interest of the horse. 

You can see me standing in the streets of New York 
city for hours looking at the condition of horses as 
they passed. The flat feet seem to stand it the best 
on all horses. All cupping fact that I saw were in a 
very bad condition, and the horses that had that kind 
were badly out of harmony of action, off their base 
and balance in many ways, which I have alread}^ de- 
scribed and explained. My time was mostly spent 
while in this city looking at horses. I next sailed to 
Washington. While standing on the verandah of the 
hotel I saw coming down a beautiful, smooth drive- 
way toward this hotel a very nice single turnout. I 



THis horse's rescue. 293 

saw the horse was a prompt driver. He was quiet 
lame in one forward foot. The rig pulled up at a 
post. There was only one man in it. He jumped out, 
tied his horse, and went into the hotel. I looked his 
horse over. He was a fine, beautiful young hoi'se. 
His hair looked as though somebody had tried to tiike 
good care of him; but he was a cripple on all of his 
legs. One of his knees was badly tipped forward ; on 
this leg was a badly contracted foot and high heel; 
the mate was a little better; the hair was nearly all 
burned off his legs all around his feet. They looked 
as though turpentine had been burnt on them. This 
gentleman did not stay long in the hotel. He soon 
was sailing again after this cripple. I did not intend 
to stop long, so I thought it would be of no use to get 
up any racket here on the horse. While this gentle- 
man is sailing around I will give you a little descrip- 
tion of him. He had on his head a very shiny stove- 
pipe hat; white vest; pants the same, and white 
gloves; he is sailing around here again. He jumped 
this time clear from his wagon on the top steps; he 
has a cane under his arm about the size of a pipe- 
stem, with a ribbon tied to it. Well, I suppose he 
carries that because he wants to. He went in the hotel 
again. When he comes out I am going to try and see 
how close I can get to him talking horse, and not 
shock him away from me. This kind of men are 
very sensitive. I find my long experience has taught 
me that one of the most skilful things a man ever 
tried to do is to approach some men and begin to talk 
about the defects of their horse, and not shock them 
away from you ; and yet these horses are all, or nearly 



294 THE hokse's rescue. 

all, cripples that liave been shod in some wa}'. I am 
going to tiy this man when he comes out. I can stand 
as biiz; a shock as he can. I never have been shocked 
off my base yet, and I have had lots of shocks from 
many directions at the same time. I placed myself by 
his horse on the side the crooked leg was on. Theplan 
was with me to be lookinsf at his horse's forward feet. 

o 

He came out and commenced untying his horse. 

''I see 3^ou have a line-looking horse here," said I. 

'' Yes^ he is a good one." 

"I see he favors one foot a very little." 

" Yes, he has been foundered twice. I have just 
been having him fired." 

"What does that cost? " 

'' Five dollars each time. I have had him fired 
twice now." 

" Don't you know v^^hat makes your horse lame ; look 
at his feet ; can't vou see this foot he is lame in is not 
like the other in any way ? It is contracted feet that 
ails your horse. That burning will do him no good ; 
it will make him worse." 

I shocked him in his wagon telling him the truth. 
He said the horse was good enough for him, and away 
he sailed. The last of him that I saw was the top of 
his hat. My God ! is there any liope of cases like 
this ? I meet thousands of such, and have for many 
years. Of course it is impossible to write in detail all 
tliat has come under my observation, looking over 
this field of cruelty to the horse. I stopped on my re- 
turn trip a while in Baltimore. There seems to be a 
transfer through that city by horses. All of the cars 
have to be drawn through. The horse has very heavy 



THE horse's rescue. 295 

loads to draw. It is one continual whip and slash 
during the whole time. If these poor horses were 
in shape to draw, it would not be quite so bad. As it 
is, it is fearful on them. 

While I was in New York city on my return, I met 
my old friend, Iliram McConnell. I told him I was in 
the old business yet, battling for the horse. No im- 
pression on him could be made yet, I saw. I sailed for 
Lake Eidge. I stopped for the night within sixteen 
miles of home,at a hotel. Moi-ning came. Whilesit- 
ting in the bar-room, one of my neighbors came in. 
He seemed to be surprised to see me. 

" Why, here is Doan. Your family will be awful 
glad to see 3^ou. It is talked all over the country a'ou. 
have gone oE crazy, never more to return. 

This was nothing new to me. This man was badly 
off his base. He asked me to lend him a dollar. I 
refused to let him have it, and told him his family 
would be glad to see him at home. I left him and 
sailed home. Of course I was crazy. I had got to 
running around, and the meanest of all was I did not 
tell everybody when I was going, and what my busi- 
ness was. In a few days I sailed west, to Chicago, 
looking horses over in different states and in Canada. 
These fields I have looked over many times in my 
life. Canada is the worst for botch-work on the 
horse's foot of all the country I have sailed over. I 
soon sailed in home again. 

Previous to this sail I closed my shop, packed my 
shoeing tools, and went to Philadelphia to try to intro- 
duce the science. It was in the hight of the Centen- 
nial, and but little attention coald be attracted. I had 



296 THE horse's rescue. 

a long talk with Howell Gerard in that city, the cele- 
brated horse-sboer. I think he could have been 
enlisted. He had a stable of horses of sixty, with 
yhoeing-shop connected. It was all rush headlong. 
At that time their attention could not be attracted. 
Mj time was mostly spent looking over this great field 
of slaughtering horses, and here they were, in the 
wholesale business at that They were killing them 
so fast they had to have men employed to clear them 
away as fast as they killed them. It is a sickening 
sight to see two deformed horses sufiering every step 
they take, before a long, heavy car, full, inside and 
out, of people, the whip playing on them nearly all the 
time. Some, perhaps, are only going sixty rods ; and 
what all this hurry and rush is for — what they are in 
pursuit of that causes them to hurry so — I cannot 
understand, unless they see a cent aliead. I suppose 
they are afraid somebody will have a bigger pile when 
they come to die than they. I can Fee no other excuse 
they can give. It is a want of feeling, I suppose, for 
the poor; suffering horse, or they could not do it. 

I returned to Lake Ridge again and opened my shop. 
I have not quit in this place yet. While working in 
my shop a man from Ithaca drove up. He said he 
had two valuable horses; they were both stiif ; one he 
had with him. They were valued by him at about 
seven hundred dollars. I think his name was How- 
land. No matter. He asked me if I could cure them. 
"Yes, I can if I can have them; this one I can, I 
know." He told me if I would come up to his place 
and look at his horse he would pay my farQ and give 
me my dinner. " I think that would hardly pay," said 



THE horse's rescue. 297 

I ; " I can make a few dollars here at home." Then 
he made another offer. *' If yon will come to Ithaca 
I will build you a shop." 

" I have a shop and house of my own here." 

"You could get more work up there." 

"I have enough to kill four men here. I do not do 
half the work that comes here. I can't stand so much 
hard work. I am getting old and stiff myself." 

" Well, I am going to bring my horses here for you 
to shoe." 

"That you had not better do. It is a long way to 
come. I am full nearly all of the time. It might not 
be so I could shoe them. I cannot cure your horses 
by shoeing them." 

Another offer : " If you will cure this horse I will 
make you a present." 

"I do not work for presents." 

" "Well, I will give you ten dollars." 

"I would not do it for ten dollars. It is worth 
more than that to cure any stiff horse." 

"Will you shoe her?" 

"Yes." 

She interferes behind badly ; heels low, toes long, 
contracted badly, and off her base on her forward feet 
She had flat shoes on her forward feet. I commenced 
to work ; he commenced to give orders how it should 
be done. Those shoes were all right to go on again; 
no new shoes must be used. I soon saw there was no 
use tr^nng to teach him anything. When a man has 
got that far advanced he knows all there is — about as 
far as a man can get — it is dangerous to try to get any 
farther. He might supersede the great Jehovah. I 



298 THE horse's rescue. 

saw I could do nothing for him. I shod his horse the 
best I could. Then he began to talk cure horses 
again. I told him, "If you will bring your horses 
here, pay the keeping, and let me have full control of 
them, I will take cp.re of them, and cure the two for 
fifty dollars." Tie drove off. That was the last I saw 
of that generous, noble-minded man. 

While I was operating in this place, brother Oliver 
stuck his stake in a new place about twelve miles 
from me, at Groton, there to tiy and start curing stiff 
horses without medicine. I saw and talked with him 
many times to learn how the battle was going. He 
said it was red-hot. He got horses and cured them 
for all that. Some came from many miles away. 
While I was operating at Lake Ridge something took 
])lace that caused quite a racket. It was this: The 
boys, I call them, but they were as big as they ever 
would be, asked me to lecture. " What subject do 3^ou 
want me to lecture on?'' " Oh, choose your own." 

Whether they were in fun or not I did not know. I 
rather thought they were. They said they would 
furnish house, light it, and put up bills. I should be at 
tio expense or trouble. 

Notice was given out before the bills were up. I 
saw they were not going to get the bills up, so I saw 
to getting them printed, paid for them, and sent some 
to diff'erent places, putting them up myself over the 
country. The time came. I had quite a full house. 
I lectured in an old deserted Baptist church. I told 
them I was going to try and see how big a field I could 
work and experiment on, talking or lecturing on scien- 
tific princij^les, taking the whole Bible for the text or 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 2.99 

center, then sail around and work up the outside. I 
told them before I started it was only an experiment. 
I made it go so well it shocked them, and it was felt 
for manj miles away. I told them I would try it 
again the next Saturday night. When the time came 
I was there at my post. The house was closed ; no 
getting in. There was no one around only the neigh- 
bors, with one exception, and that man was John Cor- 
win. I had shocked them all away but him. He told 
me the people thought I was crazy. I told him that 
was nothing. They would soon recovei' fjom that. 
They were only shocked a little. On this experiment 
I came near sailing into the lunatic asylum. Some 
thought I ought to be taken care of, and yet I had 
harmed no man. "Well, it was only a lot of bigots and 
peaked heads. I think there is not much danger yet. 
It spread over quite a large field that I was crazy. 
There was one that took gi-eat pains to tell this all 
over. He had kept it up for more than a year, so I 
thought I would try another experiment. This is 
where I experimented on lying, to see how fast it 
would multiply, and how far they would sail. This 
man's name was Mr. Vorhees. I had done his shoe- 
ing for many years. I liked him, and do now, and he 
liked my work. I went to my shop. There were 
several there sitting^ around. I told them I had bad 
news to tell them. " Whai's up now ?" 

" Mr. Vorhees is crazy !" 

Some made one remark, some another. All told 
what the cause must be of his losing his reason. In a 
few hours it was many miles away, multiplying, spread- 
ing. It had started, and there was no stopping it. It 



300 THE horse's rescue. 

was news for three months to some, and I do not know 

but it is going yet. It is about me 

Since I have commenced to write this book I 
have had letters from parties threatening to put me 
in the asyhim, there to remain the remainder of 
my days, and during the same time I have been 
obliged to write twenty-six pages answering letters. I 
commenced and numbered the pages so they could 
make a book to sell. It would save them the trouble 
of writing one. One of tiiese men was a purple-nosed 
lawyer. How much it cost to color his nose I do not 
know. It did not cost him much. He was one of the 
kind that sells us out. I think I am in my right mind 
yet, allowing me to be the judge. I have stood it re- 
markably well considering the surroundings. I will 
have you know it takes quite a good head, and he 
needs to be a good financier, to sail clear of the asylum 
and not get crazy ; to work on horses, cure them with- 
out medicine with so much opposition. But I am 
going to try a little longer. This horse that I am at 
work on now, his name is Prince. The soreness has 
nearly all gone out of his feet, and yet his shoulders 
seem somewhat stiff. I tracked this horse back to a 
colt. I found he had been kept up in the stable 
nearly all of his life on account of his being unruly 
and shod very young; before he had got his growth. 
He liad grown up a deformed horse; he could not 
bear to have a toe cork on his shoes. It would sore 
])im on his cords on hard roads. If his feet were 
allowed to get half an inch long it would affect him 
the same. I kept this horse nearly two years. He 
gradually grew better. I never put any corks on his 



THE horse's rescue. 301 

shoes. In the winter I put in what are called frost 
nails. The heads stuck up along the shoe on the 
sides ; none in the toe. When they wore off I drew them 
and put in more ; beveled the toe of shoe off to save 
the leverage. In this way I could sail him sixty miles 
in ten hours, and be would be no worse for doing it. 
I mean after I had spread his feet, got the structure of 
his feet all in harmony and kept them so. He was a 
good horse and a hard one to follow. He was a nice- 
coated dapple-brown, in fine condition when I let him 
go to rescue another that was about dead, caused by 
abuse, night and day drives, and poor care. I must 
give you a description of this animal as she stood tied 
to a post. Hooked her over, that is, her bones, for I 
could see some of them in many places. As for flesh 
she had none on, and the hide was off and worn 
through to the bones with the harness. Her hair was 
faded and dead ; the hide on her ribs was set; no stir- 
ring that; blood, scabs, and sores on every ankle. She 
stood with her head down. She was sick. She rattled 
badly in her throat at every breath. I saw she had a 
fine, clean, cordy deer leg, and points about her, if she 
had good care, that would make a good sailer. I made 
up my mind to rescue her. She was only six years 
old. While I was looking this mare over the owner 
came out of the hotel. I asked him if he ever traded 
horses. 
"Yes." 

'' I h:ive a horse that I will trade for that mnre." 
After looking mine over he said he would trade 
even. I told him all right. We changed hoi-ses in 
front of the hotel. There were quite a number stand- 



302 THE horse's rescue. 

ing around. I took my frame over near my shop and 
let her pick some gi'ass. When she put her head 
down to eat she discharged badly at the nose and 
rattled in her throat. She was very cross. If I 
rubbed her on the i-ibs she would try to bite and kick 
me at the same time She appeared savage, and was 
when I first got her and put feed into her. If I 
attempted to go toward her she would jump at me, 
mouth open, and kicking with botli feet at the same 
time. Poor horse ! she was so near starved to death 
she was afraid she would lose some of her feed. She 
ate ravenoush', and as fast as she could, and kept 
watch at the same time. 

Now for a man to make a horse trade like this is 
evidence enoug^h that reason is dethroned. No mat- 
ter; I am going to loosen the hide on this mare and 
use no medicine; cure that rattling in her throat and 
heal every sore on her by removing the cause. The 
place to begin is at the feet. There is the place I 
always begin, after giving the horse water and a good 
square meal. She is rather dangerous to handle, she 
is so sore. The danger will disappear gradually as the 
sores do, and she will quit kicking and biting at me 
after she gets over being afraid of starving to death. 
Her feet were badly out of order in many ways. After 
straightening them up, I washed her sore ankles off 
clean with soft, warm water, and took her to the bai'n. 
I had a small piece of corn just beginning to harden 
up. I cut it, corn and stalks, and threw it in to hei-. 
She would stamp her feet, kick, eat, bite, and jump at 
me if I came near her when she was eating. She was 
in constant motion all of the time. I think I never 



THE HORSES RESCUK. 303 

saw a horse in my life so nervous as this one, all 
caused by suffering, starvation, and abuse. She 
looked wild out of her eyes. She had a huge, wild- 
looking eye. Some told me I would get killed with 
some of these horses yet. . 

At this time I had rented out my shop. I did not 
work for others on hoi'ses, for this reason, I had been 
badly injured in the shop working on a horse. From 
that injury I have never recovered. I was hardlv 
able to take care of my own horses for two years. I 
had to change my c':)urse then. In order to live and 
pi-ovide for my family I went to li-afificking, that is, 
buying at wholesale what I thought I could market 
and make a little on. This business I followed. That 
was the business I was doing when I rescued this 
mare. It was sailing on the road, sometimes long 
drives. I put this mare the next day after I got her 
on the road ; fed her well. She was soon all clear of 
her cold, no rattling in her throat. Her hide, as she 
put on flesh, began to loosen ; holes in her skin where 
the bones had worn it through, slowly filled out. My 
little boy. twelve yeai:s of age, took care of these 
horses As she gained in flesh she became less nerv- 
ous by degrees. Stamping, kicking, and biting nearly 
all disappeared. A truer and kinder horse and better 
sailer on the road or on a load I never wish to sit behind. 
I have given you only a little sketch of the hard wres- 
tles I had in this place. I stopped five years hero. 
My health gave out. I could not stand sailing on the 
road nor wrestle with hores anv more as I was then : 
that I could not do. I thought perhaps I might go 
West, keep cattle, and make a living that way. I 



304: THE horse's rescue. 

soon found a castomer lor my place, and made a sale. 
This mare brought ninety-six dollars. She had a very 
bad name as being ugly and cross or she would have 
brought one hundred and fifty dollars. AVhen she 
was led out to sell I think I never saw a finer picture 
of the horse kind. This maie never ha J a particle of 
medicine, either internal or external, while I owned 
her, although some said I doctored her up. It was all 
done by kind treatment, good care, and feed, and 
worked neaily all of the time ; nicely haired over in a 
little over a year. Look at her sores and scabs! I 
did not cure this mare, I only removed the cause, and 
I did that when I rescued her. 

In three months after I let Prince go I saw him. 
He was so sore he could h.ardly go. They had shod 
him and slaughtered him the first lime. He had the 
damnedest botch job done on him I ever saw ; toggled 
up on corks at least an. inch long, and nothing right 
about the whole job. He soon changed hands. 'Next 
he V7as ten mijes away in a team drawing heavy loads, 
going good ; and I saw him since I have been writing 
this book pass drawing a heavy express, going well. 
I saw him only a few days ago standing before a buggy 
in this place. I looked him all over. He looked 
well ; his feet looked well ; he stood well on his 
legs ; did not appear to be sore; it is about six years 
since I first spread his feet. There are only a few as 
hard cases as Prince was to get on his base. I never 
had as hard a case in all of my work on the horse. 

I am going to sail out of this place west of the Mis- 
souri Eiver on the plains. I stopped in Lincoln, Ne- 
braska, awhile. Of course my time was all spent 



THE horse's rescue, 3Uo 

looking over the sale stables. There were lots of 
horses changing hands in this place, some very good 
horses. The most of them were in some degree stiff. 
They poured in from nearly all the states and from 
Canada, but I saw that very few sound ones had shoes 
on. I saw a very fine looking pair. They were some 
along in years. I saw their feet were badly con- 
tracted. I took up their feet to look at them. Their 
frogs were all gone ; their feet had some trash in them 
that looked like verdigris. Horses in this country, if 
they iron their feet, get stiff very quick for this reason : 
they do not have much rain ; the feet contract very 
fast. I selected me a farm on the winding trail called 
the old Santa Fe route. This was a great thorough- 
fare. Horses and mules were constantly passing in 
droves. 

I had a good chance to look them over as they 
passed, all more or less stiff or off their base. I built 
what is called a house. While I was at that there 
were almost daily horses driven up around my shanty. 
Some days several teams, all stiff ; some so sore they 
would be covered with sweat; some lame. They 
were all horses brought in from other states. They 
all wanted to sell me a team. I was not ready to buy 
yet. It was rather laughable to hear them brag of 
their poorcripples, and warrant them sound ; and some 
old horses had got to be quite young again. I did not 
stav lonp^ on the plains. I found it wanted a tougher 
man than I was then to care for a herd of cattle; and 
that was not all. There was more wind than I wanted 
to sail in at the time. I sailed east this time. Brother 
Oliver was moving to Auburn city to try and see 



306 THE horse's rescue. 

what lack he would have in that place introducing 
curino: horses there without medicine in brotlier 
Joseph's shop; back in the rear of Joseph's hack, 
livery, and boarding stable he commenced this busi- 
ness, Joseph doing all he could to help him. It went 
slow ; no money to fall back on. He was soon 
starved out, and was obliged to go to work by the 
day for others in order to live, and that was what I 
found him doing when I sailed into this city from the 
vest. This is the third time I have lived in Auburn. 
After getting settled I went to his place of business to 
have a talk with him. He was at work for another 
man, and at the same time curing stiff horses. He 
had some on his hands all of the time caring for. He 
continued on in this way. I was sick and unable to 
do work of that kind. I did but very little work for 
six months. After resting up for six months I began 
to feel bettei". I decided to tackle the horse again. I 
well knew I could not hold out long, for this is hard 
business and poor pay, not enough to live. The first 
thing to be done is to curtail expenses. I started out 
to find a place. I found a small, new shop, with 
rooms over the shop. It was deserted, empty, five 
miles south of Auburn. I found this was for sale. I 
bought it for four hundred dollars, and I rigged up 
new again to try and introduce tins great science. 
This is where this work is written, over my shop with 
a checker-board for my writing-desk, with a Scieniijic 
American spread over it. The first thing when I came 
in this place was to commence to talk this science^ 
How could I introduce it unless I did? No one knew 
u.iything about it but me, and they never would un- 



THE horse's kescue. 307 

less I talked and tried to teach it. The first tiling was 
to tackle the first cripple I could get. This was the 
second time I had been in this place. Through the 
influence of some of 1113^ friends, after a long time, 1 
got a cripple to work on. In a short time I found 
myself obliged, in my old age, to work for less pny 
than I ever had in my life, and nothing but cripples 
to work on. Of these I had moi-e than I wanted 
The price of shoeing was dropped down as soon as I 
opened my shop. Of course I must do it the same, 
or have no work, and my work was all stifT, lame 
cripples, four times as much work to do it. My 
health was not good enough to do this ; it wasn't what 
I opened this shop for. I had made up my mind to 
cure no more horses by expanding their feet for no 
pay and make others rich and grow^ poor myself, and 
they not learn or even try to learn this great science. 
I will bury. As for killing myself, and all for no pur- 
pose, only being in hell red-hot all the time, that busi- 
ness is about played out. 

Keader, this is the way I began to reason with my- 
self. I found my brothers began to feel the same. 
The}^ had done thousands of dollars' worth of w(>rk 
to try to introduce this work, and yet no help c:;me. 
That is what we wanted. We wanted the people to 
give their attention and see and learn this science. I 
have had men in my shop getting their horses shod, 
who, when I tried to tell them what made their horses 
stiff, would say: "I don't want to hear anythii g 
about it. I am in a hurry: I never had a stiff horse 
in mv life," These same men's horses were so stiff 
thrv could not back without dragging every foot. The 



808 THE horse's rescue. 

cause of their talking so was they had become so 
accustomed to driving and using stiff horses thej did 
not know when they were stiff. While I was in this 
place battling for the horse, brother Oliver got back in 
liis old place in the rear of Joseph's hack stable, there 
to try it again. Wo met often and talked the matter 
over, and to compare notes, so as to see how the battle 
was going. We thought we were gaining slowly. Of 
course all of the shoers were on our backs, and veteri- 
narians the same. The last time I saw Oliver we were 
riding after a horse that had been laid up for six 
months unable to work. He had had this horse only 
a few days. He was now able to sail and keep doing 
it, and grow better for it. He told me he was able to 
cure these horses 3^et, and carry twelve men on his 
back, if they did not drag their feet on the ground too 
much. After I had been at Fleming Hill six months 
I saw a very fine young dapple gray stallion pass my 
place of business. I saw he was badly off on his for- 
ward feet. 

I soon learned he was owned by a man in Auburn. 
He was kept near me during the summer. I saw him 
many times. I saw he was getting worse all the time. 
I did not mention this to any one. It was no use. I 
would not be allowed to touch him ; besides, I did not 
want to get my old wounds toi-n open anew ; but I 
watched the horse. In the fall he was so crippled he 
could hardly get along. I learned he was formerly 
owned by D. M. Osborn &;Co , and had become almost 
useless. They must get rid of this horse in some 
way. He is of no kind of use to us. Orin H. Bur- 
dick, of the firm, bought him. What he paid for him 



THE HORSE S RESCUE. ' 309 

I know not. In the fall Mr. Burdick brought this 
liorse to J. J. Doan's stable to have him kept for a 
\Yhile. Joseph saw the condition this poor horse was 
ill at a glance. He told Mr. Burdick his horse could 
be cured for fifteen dollars, no medicine used, and a 
cure warranted or no pay. I have no time to do it. I 
can bi'ing a man that will do it. Oliver soon came 
around. They told him all about the operation. Mr. 
Burdick soon saw the principle was all right. lie left 
the horse in tlieir cui'e completely, and never got weak 
:n the knees or head since he first enlisted in this army 
battling for the horse, which I shall show before I get 
through this work. Oliver had made quite a start 
previous to this ; he had cnred several horses for dif- 
ferent parties, and Dr. Quigly was one. He proved to 
be a good soldier. He is a scientific man. He soon 
saw the principle was all right. I saw that with such 
men as these to help we could make it go now. They 
were not afraid to talk and tell the truth. We have 
got in the hands of men of science, men that can see 
the chansre in their horses at once and how it is done. 
I was soon in Auburn. I found Oliver in a box 
stall with this gray stallion. " Now," said he, " we 
have got a good horse and a good man. This horse 
is well known to be a cripple; he is a fine one, and a 
horse that will attract attention, and lam going to 
(•lire him. I have got this business in tlie firm where 
I iiave been trjdng a long time, and on this horse 
hangs the whole business. If this job does not wake 
up the people I am going to burj^ the whole science," 
While we were talking Mr. Burdick came in. I told 
him what we had been trying to do for ten years, and 



310 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

we wanted him to help b}' talking, if this job pleased 
him. He told Oliver he should have all the horses he 
wanted, and at it he went. He was quite a horse lee-- 
tiirer in that town. When sucli meclianics asBurdick 
indorse this great science small heads have to stand 
back, and the}'' did. It has been quite calm since, as 
far as fi^htino; against ns has been concerned. It had 
effect five miles away at least in this direction ; it 
calmed the racket around me and infused new life in 
me. I told Oliver: "Now is the time to write this 
woi'k. It will sell now. I will go home and com- 
mence. You keep at woi'k. I went to Auburn quite 
often. I walked in the stable to find Olivei'; there I 
always went first to find him. He had a fine saddle 
horse to work on that belonged to D. M. Osborn, 
straightening his legs, taking air-puffs off, balancing 
at the same time. There wei'c seven or eight of the 
most scientific men in Auburn city taking lessons on 
the horse. One was Cyrenns Wheeler, the patentee 
of the Cayuga Chief harvesting machine. Buixiick had 
waked them up. He was thei'e, and Dr. Quigly and 
several others. I saw it was a go this time. After 
they left I swung m}^ hat over my head. I could not 
help it. I told the boys: 

"It's a go this time !" 

So much for a good, honest, live man to help. 
When we can get such men as these enlisted it will 
go. "The}?" are known all over the word, nearly, and 
it has gone ever since, and it cannot be stopped now. 
It has taken a heavy load off three men's shoulders 
that was hard to carry. We had carried it for many 
years. Mr. Wlieeler has had a horse fixed, John Os- 



THE horse's rescue. 311 

born two, Mr. Burdick three, all of this firm and many- 
others of this city. There is no discount on this 
science. Oliver was up here a few days ago. While 
he was here the man that keeps Mr. Burdick's stallion 
drove into town. The stallion is kept near me. We 
looked him over. He is as limber and sound as any 
colt, and stands his forward legs back of straight, 
head up, and needs no gagging to make him do it; 
he is one of the best stallions now in the countrj' that 
I know of for raising stock for many reasons: he is 
the best dispositioned stallion I ever saw ; he is pow- 
erfully built, well proportioned, good at both ends, 
just the right size, a beautiful dapple gi*ay. Six months 
ago this poor horse was a worthless, suffering cripple. 
He has been out of his suffering many long months. 
That was done by this science of spreading feet. This 
horse^s feet were spread an inch and a half in a very 
short time. Witli all this staring 3-ou in the face 
what is the use fighting an}'^ longer? Why not look 
into this and see for yourselves? Blowing and blart- 
ing will do you no good. 

With a few more such men as Dr. Quigly and Bur- 
dick to work it will not be long before the pooj- suffer- 
ing horses' condition will be bettered in many ways. 
All it wants is some live and honest, fearless men of 
brains to do this. When it gets started it will spread 
fast. It is only one process that does the whole busi- 
ness. It is not such a wonderful thing, after all, when 
it is understood. 

The next day after Oliver was up looking at Mi-. 
Burdick's stallion I went to Auburn. I have traveled 
oyer this road on foot many times on this horse busi- 



312 THE horse's rescue. 

iiess in one year and a lialf. I wanted to see Mr. Bur- 
dick to get the privilege of using his name in this 
scientific work on the horse. He was gone away. I 
waited for liirn to return home; he said he had been 
up to look at his stallions. '• Mr. Burdick," said I, " I 
have got along with my book now where it comes to 
vou. Can I use vour name in this science?" 

" You can use my name in any way you. please and 
I will add a little myself; ycu can say ihe work done 
on my stallion has added to his worth five hundred 
dollars. I would not have him put back where he 
was last fall for that; and tliat is not all ; my brown 
horse that I have just had fixed can out-trot his mate, 
which he could not do before I had him fixed; he 
sailed out at once ; it let him loose, untied him. The 
mist is clearing away." 

This was the last he said to me. I walked away. 
This is encouraging, and this work is still going 
on and spreading, and it will coniinue to do so for this- 
reason : it is riglit, based on pi-incipks that will stand, 
and all trash and rubbish it will clear away and shove 
from their base, just as these poor horses are. 

There is one m^re mare I want to mention. It is 
the Westlake mare of Auburn c\iy. It is nearly nine 
years since I changed her back to natural and put her 
in harmony of action. She never changed hands; 
he owns her yet. I have seen her nearly every year 
since and look-ed lier over as she was passing and re 
passing. She was on her base and limber, looking 
fine. She was a good animal and i-^ yet. When I 
changed her back she was badly defoi'med and showed 
it Workinsf oji this mnre I learned a lesson. I did 



THE horse's rescue. 313 

not spread lier forward feet quite enough to let her 
down between the cup at tlie top. She was badlj 
contracted ; she was completely raised out of the cup 
and shut out by the wall closing up below. By driving, 
it drove the sole down, not being room at the top of 
the wall for the bone to go down. She got pinched or 
wedged in the cup. After driving awliile I saw she 
was not going well. I soon saw the cause. Her feet 
began to bulge out at the top'and both sides It was 
too late then to help that ; it made her sore only a few 
days, then all was right; if the feet had been spread 
one quarter or over an eighth of an inch more she 
would have sailed all right. This was the first and 
last time I ever got pinched in that w^ay. I explained 
the whole thing to Mr. Westlake and haVe talked with 
him since ; his marc was cured for aU that ; it only set 
her back a little. All horses that I worked on were in 
Auburn city at that lime, but that mai-e I have lost 
ti-ack of. I oilier fifty thousand dollars to any man 
that will bring me a man that never made a mistake 
in life. I want to see him : it would be a big sight to 
ma 

I will pass on now. I could write about thousands 
of horses that I liave worked on. It's of no kind of 
use. All are cured by the principles that are laid 
down in this work. That is what I claim ; and more, 
it will almost raise a horse that is nearly dead, and this 
is a fact, as strange as it may appear to some. This 
great science is classed with the highest ; it is one of the 
great sciences of the sciences. It cannot be grasped 
at once by men of small caliber of brain^ but they can 



814 THE HORSES RESCUE. 

learn it by degrees, as all other great things are 
learned, if thej will apply themselves, vrhich they 
will have to do or suffer loss. And Mr. Kirb\^, the 
well-known inventor of the Kirby harvester, has been 
takinsr lessons. He saw this work done and measured 
the feet before spreading, and stood and saw the feet 
spread, then measured them after this was done and 
watched the result. He wanted to know for himself, 
and that is the way. I never had any trouble from 
such men as these, and this kind of men will be the 
men to help introduce this science or it never can be 
done. My long experience working at mechanical 
work has taught me this — the higher must teach the 
lower; the lower cannot rise all at once. How can 
they? And all men that fight this work with all 
this evidence before them, coming as it does from men 
well advanced and developed in science, men of char- 
acter, of good standing, and they have earned it and 
they are not going to indorse a science unless it is all 
right and then have to fight against such men and evi- 
dence as this, any longer will only expose your 
io-norance. Here will be the ejreat center of action to 
set it sailing, for sail it will, and no power on earth can 
stop it. Now, what is the use trying to throw blocks 
under the wheels of progression ? They always have 
had to move out of the way and always will. There 
are lots more of things to learn yet. I have got 
another bigger thing than this horse science, which I 
have been working on about twenty -five years to per- 
fect. I shall if I live bring tliat forward when I get 
it so I can handle it as well as I can this horse busi- 
ness. On that I challenge all the wisdom, knowledge, 



THE horse's rescue. S15 

and bi-iiins concentrated on the globe to excel. Mill- 
ions may equal ; excel they cannot. It makes the 
horse as the Creator made him, and tliat is as far as 
man can go on that case. The created, I think, will 
hardly excel the Creator. In experimenting and 
studying this horse business I have undermined some 
foundations that have been reared on false teachings, 
and they will tip over, and they ought to, and it will 
be a godsend to the suffering mule and horse when 
they are scattered to the four winds or buried with all 
other false teachings of the dead past. This is what 
I have been trying to do for many years. In place of 
this entanglement of nonsense I will leave you some 
principles that will take you safe through all oE this 
trash and rubbish and let the light of day in on you. 
This foundation that I have built in this work, and 
the superstructure reared thereon, will stand. Ages 
and ages can roll on eternally, and it will be there. It 
is founded on truth and principles of science, and after 
I am dead I want no man to worship me or erect a 
monument to my memory. All I ask is: Take care 
of your horse! All the headstone I want is a natu- 
ral horse and carved on his side " Gerard Doan, author 
of ' The Horse's Rescue.' " 



SIG THE HOUSE S KESCUE. 



THE HORSE'S APPEAL FOR MERCY. 

Do on me some feeling, judgment, and. mercy show, 

I cannot travel with these long levers on my toes. 

Just look at my feet, you can see very plam, 

Every step I take on my cords there is an awful strain. 

I'o rise over these long and peaked toes. 

It me all out of action and balance throws. 

And that is not all, I have no use of my feet. 

All coiitH-acted, sore, full of imnatural heat, 

Tlie structure of my feet are all out of condition to run; 

To travel in this way, and not hurt, it cannot be done. 

Look at my heels, all pinched up, you can easily see; 

They are not as my creator intended them to be. 

I am worse off than you think I am. I know 

They ache and hurt me so I can hardly go. 

I wish you would take me and have ray feet spread: 

I cannot stand this long, I shall soon be dead. 

Iti s cruel to pound me around in this way. 

When all of my trouble can be lemoved in a day. 

Unless this is done, I never can any better be; 

I am growing worse every day, you can plainl}^ see. * 

I shall soon bo of no kind of use to you ; 

You will only have me to feed; no work can I do. 

When I am completely thrown back off my base, 

What condition am I to put in a race? 

I will only be laughed at; they will of me make fun; 

The condition I am now in, I cannot trot or run. 

To whip and jerk me, it will only make matters worse ; 

To get there in, this condition I cannot first. 

With all lengths of levers on the ends of my toes. 

If you hurry me in this condition, out of balance all goes. 



THE horse's REHSCJE. 81' 

When this takes pJace, I have all I can do to stand on my feet; 

And contracted feet is the cause of my losing the heat. 

To pound mo around on tliis liard track in this way, 

I am alvvtys ten times worse for it tlie next day. 

If you could only see the inside of my poor feet, 

You could soon see the cause of my losing the heat. 

TJiey may look to 30U ail right on the outside, 

And yet for all that good liorses a.H I have suffered and died 

From this cause tliat I am now toUijig you about; 

And if you keep on, I will go the same way, no doubt. 

I cannot kist long pounded around this track every day, 

To have my feet contracted and bound up in this way. 

My suffering is very great; the ca'use is all in my feet; 

They pain me so day and night I cannot rest or sleep. 

Sore, and stiff, and sick, and lame 3'ou pound me through; 

1 assure you it is worse than death ; it may be fun for you. 

If you would cut my throat, let the blood out of my ■» eiins, 

I would to you thankful be ; it would end all my pains. 

mj God ! is there never any relief or help to come ? 

Have I always got to suffer in tliis way — every day be run? 

Creator of me and all that is great, wise, and good. 

Is there no wa}^ that my suffering can be understood ? 

my God ! in some way do to me send relief! 

1 appeal to you now; to my groans my driver seems deaf; 
For there must be a great first cause of all that is created, 
And to that, like all others, I must be related. 

I well know on me in creating you have made no such mistake ; 

That I cannot eat or drink, and from that cause no comfort take. 

I know myself where all of the cause is well enough, 

But I cannot talk and tell, and I assure you it is tough. 

It is not caused by anything that 1 have drank or eat; 

]t is nearly all caused by botcli-work done on my feet. 

It is caused sometimes by leaving my heels too low. 

Tliat throws me back off my base so I cannot go. 

If you leave my heels too high, it is no better, you can see, 

That will throw me off my base, cock ankle, and tip my knee. 

If you dress my hoof, and get it all right to a fraction, 

To look at may yet be out of harmony of action. 

Iiftternallv the structure may badly changed be; 



318 THE horse's rescue. 

Put me ill motion ; if jou have got eyes you can see 

I will have to step short and have a crippled, hobbling gait; 

When my feet are in this condition, my God ! how they ache. 

That causes great internal, unnatural fever and heat ; 

That causes my ankles to swell; it has its rise from my feet. 

Tinker and toggle me up the very best way you can, 

No relief to me can come until 3'on my feet expand, 

Tor the sole is raised up; all is out of harmony of action. 

I cannot move well; t!iis is nearly all caused b}^ contraction; 

There is other causes connected wiih this complicated matter, 

But. with all, it relieves the most to make my feet flatter ; 

That lets my weight go back on my base a great degree, 

And liberates the coffin-joint, and lets all go free. 

Then if you will just look at the tops of my double heels behind, 

And you tind them even, you are all right so far you find. 

Do not forget I have four feet that arc of use to me ; 

They are, or can be, all affected the same, you can see. 

If the heels are not even at the top, they are not right you will find, 

Thai turns the toe in or out, I cannot travel in a straight line . 

If my ankles are thrown in from this cause, to travel it would be 

queer, 
And not sore my cord badly, and not cause me to interfere. 
You must look my feet all over singly in order to see. 
They may all be nearly right but one, and that badly be ; 
And they may all be steering in opposite directions, so 
I cannot trot, run, walk, it sores and hurts me, you ought to know. 
Do, for my sake, look at my feet, crooked, many ways overrun, 
All caused by shoeing and the awful botch work on me done. 
There is a right way and wrong to do this, you ought to know ; 
It must be done so all will work in harmony, or I cannot go. 
To have my feet in pairs, traveling on opposite lines, 
My weight all thrown off of balance, it is hard, I find. 
My good God. creator of all that we can see and o( me ; 
I never can tell all of my suffering and how to get free. 
You have power to all I see and beliold to create ; 
And now is there not some way better care of me to take? 
This couti-action throws two-thirds of my weight on my legs behind ; 
And this is not all, it spavhis me and strains me across the loin, 
And tliat throws all internally out of order, too. 



THK horse's rescue. 319 

"When this takes place no one seems to know what to do ; 

Then there will always be a lot of quacks gather around, 

To kill rue with blisters, and cramming me with trash they seem 

bound ; 
To balance me up b}^ allowing my heels to grow and not my toes ; 
That, too, is no better; in a short time over the other way I will go. 
It is plain enough, all miglit see, it's as plain as a be; 
Then, with all this, have mv shoulders blistered, it's hard for me. 
Then to be ail out of harnion}'^ in naauy degrees and ways ; 
"With all this, have to draw loads, great mischief with me it plays. 

my God ! I wish I never had created been. 

To live a long life of suffering in this condition I am in. 

1 cannot hardly get my head down to drnik or eat; 

I am thrown in such shape caused by ironing my feet; 

Neither can I get up m.y head any better than down ; 

In fact, it throws me in such shape I can't turn around. 

Clear past the center two-thirds of my vv^eight is thrown back; 

Sometimes this is done slow; it is according as my feet contract; 

It all depends on the care and treatment my feet has had. 

I am in all stages and degrees of suffering ; sometimes very bad ; 

I wish you could see the fearful condition it throws me and holds me 

. so; 
You would have the cause removed, and more mercy on me show. 
Oh, dear ! with shoes on me. and on me two sets of contracted feet, 
Can't you see where I liave gnawed them ? Ou this manure heap, 
All paralyzed, unable to rise or stand for the want of care, 
There I am obliged to lie month after month and breathe foul air, 
Although I am down now, and unable to rise, walk, or stand. 
With all this, if you would cut my feet down and them expand, 
I would soon recover, and grow strong, healthy, and spry ; 
And if that is not done, for there is no other way, I must die. 
This is the last stages, and there are thousands like me all over the 

land. 
This is the final result, paralyzed, unable longer to stand. 
"When I get this way, my God! look inside of my feet, 
They have become inflamed; now something more than a little heat; 
All life and action completely destroyed for want of circulation; 
And this, too, is all located m my feet — ray foundation. 
When my base or foundation you destroy and undermine me, 



320 THE horse's rescue, 

J am not of much use ; I will have to come down you will fini 
To be down in this way, sick, fearful pains to endure, 
j^nd breathe this ptench; no bed, only stinking manure. 
my creator, God! tliia stench and carrion are enough to kill me; 
If there was no other cause, this heat is taking my hair off, don't you 
see? 

my creator and father G(xl! this I do not comprehend, 
That we have such a life of pain and suffering to spend. 
Sure you could not. creating U8, made such a mistake 
That we cimnot cat, drink, walk, stand ; no comfoi-t take. 
We can neither go up hill without hurting; the same down. 

It hurts us very bad to rise on our feet; tl>e same to turn around. 
It hurts me so it causes me to raise my hind legs high, 
And I cannot help it. my forwani legs I can't bend if I try. 

1 am all pinched, bound, and murdered with contraction, 

And I liave no control of myself, and I suffer; I have no action; 

1 cannot back without almost killing me dead, 

And it hurts me the same, from the same cause to go ahead. 

Sometimes T am divided against myself, you can easy see ; 

If I am all right on my forward feet, divided I shall be 

Unless my liind feet are all in harmony at the same lime. 

All true should be toes, of equal length, and all travel on a straight 
line. 

How can I travel divided against myself, all out of harmony, too? 

You can see, reverse it, it is all the same, no good can it do ; 

To fix me all right, my feet at the same time must be in harmony of 
action, 

And to do tliis you must remove all leverage, nm-over feet, and con- 
traction. 

That will let my weight all go back on its base you will find ; 

That will equahze my weight, balance me at the same lime: 

Poise me on my equilibrium in the center ; I mean to be understood. 

Unless you imderstand this, to work on me you are no good ; 

You will be thix>wing me off my base in many different ways. 

And in this suffering condition I shall have to be all of my days. 

No more blisters, seatons, rowels, burning, liniment do I want annmd 
me, 

The whole trouble is removed by working on my feet ; you can seo 

My suffering is great, and I am deformed enough already liow, 



THE horse's rescue. 321 

"Without burning and mutilating, to cure me you know not liow. 
If you can find a place around me that is the least bit sore, 
The first tiling will be to go at tliat, and sometimes make more. 
Almost any fool the effect can nearly always find, 
Unless he is a perfect blockhead and nearly blind. 
If you can find all of the effects ; you have only half, you can see, 
Burning, blistering, mutilating them will never cure me. 
The suffering from this treatment has been hard to endure ; 
Added to all otliers. the cause you must remove in order to cure. 

my creator God ! how I have had to be tortured and suffer; 
It has been a good thing for us all that we were not tougher. 
How is such treatment as that going to put me on my base ? 

If 3'ou will and do it, I will take the back seat and give you the race; 
You never have cured or helped one horse treating them in this way 
Either in ancient or modern times, or in any other day. 
And if that is all you can do is to mutilate the effect, 

1 am better off without you, if my feet do contract. 
I can get around a little if I am stiff, lame, and sore; 

"When you get at me I am always a wreck six months or more. 

To work on you have no theory, principle, plan, or foundation; 

It 16 doctor the effect, when you can't find it. and all is mutilation. 

You have been all over me, mutilating in many different ways. 

And all is wrong; not once have you seen where the cause all lies 

All you have done has been very great damage to me ; 

Spreading my feet at the top is all wrong, you can see. 

I have been worked on on tlie groat Dunbar plan, 

That was recommended by tliat great joining of fallible being — man. 

A great fulcrum of principles and science must then be made. 

"When to him for nothing tv/eniy-five tliousand dollars was paid. 

For there is not one thing laid down in that work to me of use ; 

It is all torture to me; no help; only mutilation and abuse. 

Spreading my feet at the too, that is wrong, you ought to know. 

That will throw my heels together; in doing so 

Tliat will cause the sole to raise ; that throws me back still more 

Off of my base again. My cords, my God! how sore. 

And this is done so as to give the coffin-jouit a little more play. 

Then it must be contracted again for fe.ir it should get too much 

and run away. 
And the toe must be kept as short as it can possibly be. 



322 THE horse's rescue. 

To keep and prevent the coffin-joint from separation, you see, 
There is no use saying any more ; it is like this all the way through. 
To spend my time with tliis baby trash I can't, I have other work 

to do. 
Poor, de'ormed, and suffering, tortured horse of hundreds of years, 
For many long years I have heard your cries and shed tears ; 
And now I have got this work nearly completed and done, 
And when it is finisiied, to your rescue I shall come. 
No man on this green earth can intimidate me so, 
That for your relief T dare not the same old bugle blow; 
For I shall be in the center and in the hottest of the fight, 
Ko matter where or when nor what time, day or night. 
No quarters will I give vmtil I do away with some of the poor 

horses' abuse. 
'There never was an effect without cause, of that you may be sure- 
And the cause is removed with this science and that in the cure. 
And now I am going to tell you what this science will do: 
It will cure nearly all cripples, I will except only a few. 
Of course there are cripples that the cause is not in their feet; 
Thej' can be crippled in many ways; I will assure you it is not 

what they eat. 
You may ask, What is the reason this has not been done years 

ago? 
I cannot tell yon, sir, for the reason I do not know. 
But tliere is one thing that I do know, of that I am very sure, 
It cost me monej' and forty-one years' labor that was jiard to en- 
dure. 
Of that I have only given you a sketch, a glance, a bird's-eye view 
Just enough to lay down principles to tell you this work how to do, 
For in that way I do not want ray tune to spend. 
I am getting old now, of course my time here must Sdon end. 
To perfect a great work experience has taught me it takes a long 

time. 
And after it is d(me, to introduce it, it is the same I find. 
This is tlie reason I do not want my time to fool away, 
For I well know this great science cannot be introduced in a day. 
This science is far in advance of the age, that I well know. 
Of course I understand that it must spread very slow ; 
Ignorance is the great power ; against that it will have to contend; 



THE horse's rescue. 323 

Nobody knows how long or when it will end. 

It may be hundreds of years before it is well understood, 

Or it may go very fast ; if it does it will do a power of good. 

I do not want any man to think, afier they have read this work 

through, 
To make money out of this work is all I want to do. 
Of course for this work I shall have to charge now a little fee, 
Or I never can introduce this science, you can easy see. 
The last dollar is going now in this work that I have got, 
Excepting a few blacksmith tools and my little red shop. 
Before I quit there is a little more to you I want to say, 
The principles in this work are right ; there is no other way ; 
And if they are not adhered to, you had better beware, 
Your horses will all be better off with their feet bare. 
Now I will in this work bid you all adieu ; 
I do not want you to think I have given up and got through ; 
I have not, I am going to follow this work around, 
And teach and introduce this science I am bound. 

Adieu, your bumble servant, 

Gerard Doan. 



324 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 
No. 1. 




Cut No. 1 represents the natiinil horse before lie lius been changed 
from natural bj havinj^^ his feet ironed. There are other causes, 
which are often the ease. The causes that change the horse from 
natural are very alight compared with the many and great changes 
and many degrees of change about which I have written, caused by 
ironing their feet. I h-ive told you in this work that the horse is a 
machine, and must be in harmony of action or he will run badly. 
These cuts are to show you scientifically, to give 3-ouan idea, or to try 
to, of the suffering condition your liorses are thrown in. Cut Xo. 1 
shows the horse natural, inside of his circle, all in harmony of action 
— no leverage, no runover feet, no contraction. The center perpen- 
dicular line, A, horizontal center line, B; it crosses at A in the center 
of the horse. If the horse is not drawn out of shape or off his base^ 
he is balanced in the center. ITe can place his feet at fulcrum, R. 
where the two circles, F F, cross linos; place the hmd foot to "0 ^{^.* 



THE horse's rescue. 325 

forming fulcrum with E ; place the forward fool to D line. When this 
is done, you can see there is another center and fulcrum of levers 
formed if the horse is as he should be. "When his feet -are all placed 
in the center at fulcrum, E, he can rotate both ways from points B B 
to K, or he can rear up until point B of horizontal line in front cornea 
to A, perpendicular Ime. If he is natural, he can kick up in the same 
way. He can rotate both ways, horizontal line B B to A and K, with- 
out hurting hitn in any way, if he is natural and inside of liis circle. 
When the horse is going through this exercise, changing ends, every 
time he changes he will place both his hind feet when he comes down 
at fulcrum, E; his forward feet the same. If you will watch him, 
you can see this. The horse has four dnve-wheels. These cuts only 
show one side. The drive-wheels are all of one size if the horse is 
natural ; I mean he rolls four of a size, and tlie size is according to his 
own length and size ; and the size of wheel he rolls is governed by 
the harmony of action he is in or out. This cut shows him all in 
harmony of action. See how accurate all works out. The two per- 
pendicular, C C, lines crossing horizontal, B B, line to T T, forming two 
fulcrum of levers, or centers. Here is where the horse gets his pro. 
pelling power and balance of leverage that enable him to draw heavy 
loads up heavy hils. Throw him off his base, or out of his circle, 
and he loses his power according to the degree. The great circle, G> 
will show you the lever power the horse has if he is in liis circle and 
natural. From B to B and from A to K he has that length of lever 
power, turn him any way you may on this globe. The line H H, I 
drew tc show you a rest for the drive-wheels. It is made on a circle 
to represent the globe or earth — to convey principles that are not seen 
and yet exist. The lower line, I I, is the real line to show the earth 
and the leverage power the horse has, and lines L L are placed there 
to show another center or fulcrum of levers. No matter Avi at part of 
the globe the horse is on, he is always on the summit If lie stands 
up, his feet and legs point to the center of the earth ; the .-Mme with 
man. The horse is quite a machine; he has a gearing running hori- 
zontal; his feet are a circle of leverages, all acting from ;i center at 
every step the horse takes, if they are not fixed so they cannot. He 
has a very complicated perpendicular circular gearing, vviiich I have 
not put all on in full, it not being necessary to convey what 1 wish to. 
I thought it would complicate it too much. Tt will be easier to under- 
stand and explain all the better as it is. He has too, withal, a folding 
crank motion, which I will explain. That crank can be affected 



326 THE horse's rescue. 

badly and be made to varj^ in length by botch-work done on tlie feet 
In order to show the principles the horse moves on I have hned the 
drive-wheels soraetliing like spokes in a wagon wheel ; put the horse 
in motion, each spoke as the wheel rolls will take its place at the point 
T T ; all become in their turn perpendicular lines, C C ; the horse 
changes when in motion, feet at the point T T at the same time, if he 
is all in hairaony both forward and behind. When he is trotting fast 
if you sec when he changes if tie is all right, you will have to see 
quick or you will not see when he does change. I do net pretend he 
spaces off as he rolls along his strides, or steps regular as they are 
spaced in this cut. I have marked some degrees on the forward drive- 
wheel to show something of the action of the horse; these degrees T 
did not put on the hind dri\e-',vlieel. The principle is the same on all 
and on all horses, both before and behind ; and after you have experi- 
mented on horses forty-one years, I am right, you will find. The 
horse when natural can place his forward foot to No. 12, and even 
higher, the other foot remaining on the ground ; he can do the same 
with his hind feet; he can place his hind feet where F F circles cross 
lines and form fulcrum at the top. I have marked off degrees, and 
numbered them from 1 up to 12. They are not regularly spaced off. 
These lines are to show the irregular change and degrees of change on 
the same horse. Do not forget it is the same on the horse's hind feet. 
This will be more fully explained in other cuts. You can see I have 
struck circles from the two centers of drive-wheels at the gambrel and 
at the knee, M M. Look, then you can see at the fetlock there are 
circles from the gambrel and knee, N" N. Look ; these two you can 
see. From the fetlock there is another circle from ; and if you 
destroy the structure in my foot, or feet, you will find I cannot go. 
Wlien the horse is put in motion he changes at point T T, and leg 
folds toward the center of drive-wheel at the knee and fetlock and 
heel. They fold the same on the hind drive-wheel, and these folding 
cranks all fold toward tlie great center. A, and he gets the balance of 
lever power in this way. "When he reaches out his feet to put himself 
in motion one half of his legs folds toward three centers, the other 
half unfolds; he gets the balance of power. In this way the cranks 
fold and unfold, striking half circles rotatory motion. The principles 
are there just as much as they would be if this machine was made 
with cog-gearing. He has got a power on those drive-wheels. 
When he is even with himself and in his circle, all natural as his crea- 
tor made him, he can straighten out his legs from A to K, and whirl 



THE horse's rescue. 



327 



around and around very easy. You can see all working in harmony 
from the great center. 

No. 2. 




Cut No. 2 shows the horse oil his base, both forward and bonnd; 
It shows him out of his circle; it shows two sets of circles and per- 
pendicular lines. This cut will show you something o the ars 
stages of the horse's change from natural. Do not forgot there are al 
degrees of this change, and his sufEering commences "">'« fi;;^ 
change. As this horse now is, he is in a bad i>.. Now I w.ll ak 
some wise man to tell me how this horse can be got out of h.s trouble, 
burning, blistering, rowels, and all kinds of mutilatmg. lou may 
fasten his feet where they now are, hitch tackles to Ins neck, and 
draw him in his circle, or roll him in, or pry him m, or bhster Inm, o, 
burn him in, he will not stay; an* you cannot get h.m m Ins orcle 
and put him in harmony n. any such way. I put him m ns crc 6 w>th 
a lever, and it .s all lever principle I work on to do .t. It .s all done 
working on the feet. There is the cause. I have explamed that 



328 THE horse's rescue. 

about as well as I can. The light perpendicular lines, A and C C, aro 
the natural lines; the space between A and C, center perpendicular 
lines. The horse is out of his circle and off his base that much. You 
will find that throws all out of harmony of action; the same degree 
the horse is all out of his balance. Look ; there aro two sets of cir- 
cles and lines, you can see. This only shows in this small cut a small 
degree. The horse is off his base or behind himself. Take a full- 
sized horse and hne him as this cut is lined ; you can find lots of horses 
off their base eighteen inches, and some more. I have marked and 
figured a few degrees. The horse in this condition cannot step far, he 
has not got much action. He has lost his lever power, caused by con- 
traction : he is sick ; all is out of mash. The machine will not run 
much, and heats badly when put in motion. Ho cannot rotate from 
B B to A; he cannot rear up or kick up either way; neither can he 
any better turn around. It all works the same when he gets up or 
lies down. Roll him back until A line comes to P, then there will be 
onl}' one set of circles and lines, you can see. If it is done right a 
will in harmoy of action be. I have left this cut as little complicated 
as I could and convey what I wanted to. If I had laid out two sets 
of gearing, and put all in these cuts which I could, it would about 
spoilt them to convey the principles that I well understand to others. 
Look where fulcrum E is ; it should be where the forward circles cross 
lines on heavy perpendicular, P, line, then A would take the place of 
S and in the center be ; and T T would move forward with C C. 
There are six centers now. If that was done there would be only 
three. Take hold of circle at the top at point and line A, move it for- 
ward ; the circle wouM at that point travel a large degree, while it 
would hardly move at R and A. That you could see all would come 
in one line, then all in harmony would be. This poor horse's body 
must all move forward and his feet remain where they are. This may 
look like a hard job to do without medicine of any kind, and yet it can 
be done, and it is a very simple job to do when once understood. As the 
horse's body moves forward, no matter what degree, if it is done 
right, his back will straighten across the loin, and his head will rise as 
his body moves forward, no matter what degree, until all is in 
harmonv. 



THE horse's RERCUK 
No. 3. 



829 




This cut No. 3, shows the horse in his circle and balanced in the 
center, and yet he ia badly out of harmony of action, caused by im- 
proper care of his feet and contraction. This is what I call balancing 
the horse between runover feet, contraction, and leverage. This is 
what I call a bad job. It haa balanced him over forward, tipped his 
ankles forward, and his knee; that is caused by leaving the heel too 
high, or toe too low, or both. Sometimes the fault is all in the slioe 
by dressing the foot; it can be done in that way, ai)d ofien is, and in 
many and many degrees of this and on the same horse. This horse 
is not so liable to fall over backwards as the horse sliown in cut Ko. 2, 
but he is liable to lose the use of his feet and legs, and has, nearly. 
He has but very little action, and is liable to fall at every step if he is 
hurried. His feet are bad, both internally and externally. He is a 
great sufferer, and the cause is located in his feet. Reader, you may 
think this picture overdrawn, some of you, but I assure you it is not. 



880 THE horse's rescue. 

I can produce thousands of horses that are worse off than this horse 
is shown to be. Tliis horse has more ailments than are shown in cut 
No. 2. He has been kept in his circle, or, other words, tried to be 
kept on his base and balance and failed, as all do that try to do it in 
this way. Cut No. 2 shows the horse thrown off his base by the soles 
of his feet rising up. Do not forget it can be done many other ways, 
about which I have written. If the sole had been lowered on the 
principles laid down in this work, he or his body would have gone 
back on his base. This horse (cut No. 3) has had his feet dressed in 
such a way it has added more to his trouble, and the first cause still 
remains, and has grown worse. It is of longer standing. The coffin- 
joints are badly affected, and all is bad internally. He is sick all over, 
and not fit to work. Now, I want some man to tell me, if he can, how 
he is going to get his poor horse out of this trouble with medicine of 
any kind, or any treatment excepting the principles laid down in this 
work. I mean the ailments the horse has at the present day that I 
treat and write about. I well know this is the right and only way out 
of this trouble, and the horse should never be in it. But this is the 
way it is; how long it will be so I know not. 

The horse shown in cut No. 2 thrown off his base I left in the fore- 
part of this work; at that time I could do no better. Such as he go 
over backwards often. And this horse (cut No. 3) I left in this work 
after balancing him as well as I could. Him I came around to see. I 
found him cocked on his ankles and tipped on his knees. I have no 
recollection of ever serving a horse in this way in my life ; bui I have 
straightened thousands of them, and shod them to prevent them from 
balancing over in the way this is shown in this cut. Some horses can 
stand and work many years in this condition. They suffer greatly; 
they are weak; they cannot draw but a small load compared with a 
horse that is all sound and natural. I have marked a few lines or de- 
grees pointing toward the center of the forward drive-wheel. His 
steps are short; he does not get much balance of power on leverages; 
the folding cranks do not work ; he is stiff"; no knee action ; no action 
in any way; he stubbs and pegs; blunders along; swaying right 
and left. He has all he can do to stand on his feet. He can stand 
hitched to a load or by the side of another sound horse better than in 
any other way. This horse is harder to cure than the one shown in 
cut No. 2, and yet it can be done. In the condition this horse is now 
in he has but very little action ; you place his forward feet to line D, 
forming fulcrum at E. How long do you think he could stand cocked 



THE HORSE S RESCUE. 



831 



on his ankles and tipped on his knees ? Place his hind feet at the 
same fulcrum E. In the condition he is now in he would fall very 
quickly, you would see. If he was put in his circle by working on 
the right principle on his feet he could rotate both ways untU H H 

Wo. 4. 




line and B B would meet, and he could rotate from A to K just in 
the same way, and that would be, of course, to line I. The condition 
he now is in he cannot do it if he should try, although A in the 
center seems to be, and so is the perpendicular lines C C, and the feet 
seem to be in about their proper place at T T: but it is all done 
wrong; he cannot move well botched in tliis way, for this reason, 



332 THE horse's rescue. 

it is not done in the right way. Compare this horse with the one in 
cut No. 1, and j^ou can easy see why his machinery he cannot run. 
And after working on the horse forty-one years I found out how all 
this mischief was done after I got control and master of the horse's 
feet. If I do say it, balancing up horses I was and now am hard to 
beat. The opposirion I meet with I do not mind. I can balance 
these horses and put them in harmony of action very nicely botii 
before and behind. 

Cut No. 4, or plate of cuts, is to show the base, or foundation, of 
the horse. This is to be looked at as though the horse had walked 
off and left the bottom of his feet with shoes on, the sole and frog 
all there. The object of this is to more clearly show and convey the 
condition — the foundation — of the most of horses are in, caused by 
unequal weiglit on the double heel, and showing what shape they 
will assume, caustid by that and not bemg properly dressed and cared 
for. You can seo. there is not a true foot there ; they are all imper- 
fect and untrue in some way, and in many and different, no two 
alike. The two feet that the lines start from at the t()e are to repre- 
sent the hind feet. The drive- wheels on the horse's hind feet are 
intended to run on the outside of the forward wheels if he is natural, 
and nature has made him so. If nature has a chance they will run 
in that way. If his feet are run over it will change these lines from 
a straight line in degrees according to how much his feet are run over. 
The top of heel is the place to look. There will be all degrees on the 
same horse from the same cause; the weight will turn the toe in or 
ouJJf the same on all the feet. And this is a very important point to 
look to if you want your horse to move well. Equalizing the weiglit 
on the feet is one of the most important things to be looked to in 
dressing and ironing a horse's feet. If it is not done properly it will 
turn the toe one way cr the other. In driving twenty miles, and some 
feet in less, it throws the ankle in or out. If it should throw tiie 
ankles out. the toe would go in. If both feet should go in that way 
(I mean a pair), they would cross lines, as shown in this plate, and 
there are all degrees of that. Sometimes, when not very bad in that 
way, these lines would cross some rods ahead of the horse. When 
the horse is in this way he will grab his shoes and heels and con- 
stantly be running over himself. Sometimes he is run over in pairs, 
both forward feet one way and both hind feet the opposite. When ho 
is in that way there is danger of his falling if he is hurried, and liable 
to if not. The fact is his feet are all turned one way or the other. 



THE HOBSK's KESCrS 



333 



If l,e is run in on his feet he wit knocK his ankles until he is straight- 
ened This is not seen by many. It racks the horse's ankles bad. 

There is another point to be looked to where this rnn-over-feet busi- 
ness exists. Stand behind your horse and see if his legs are on a 
perpendicular hne; that is, see if the hind drive-wheels do not stand 
under too much; that, is, his feet huddled together In case they 
should by being runover, or from want of proper work done on his 
feet, the effect would be bad in many ways. Look up to the center of 
the drive-wheel; there is a fulcrum of levers up there. If his leg 
stood under from a perpendicular hne his weight would act at that 
center or fulcrum of levers. These levers act both ways. They are 
all right when they all act together, as nature intended they should. 
When thrown out of harmony they work against the horse and his 
owner badly. These principles work the same on the forward part of 
the horse. Sometimes one wheel is badly out of order, sometimes 
all; sometimes two; sometimes three. Go and look your horse all 
over, put him in motion, and if you have got an eye for a horse you 



can see. 

No. 5. 




Cut No. 5 shows the foot natural; that is, the covering of the 
sensitive part. It shows the surface of the sole and frog internally ; 
the heels are low and wide apart; the foot nearly round in shape; 
the sole nearly flat down; the double heels and frog all rest on the 
ground, or floor equal, and this is the way it always should be. 

No. 6. 




834 THE horse's rescue. 

Cut No. 6 shows the foot badly changed from natural , it is badlj 
contracted. You can see the heels are closed together. In doing 
this it raises the sole up. The mischief it does I have written about. 
To cure these horses my work treats on. I expand the foot, let the 
sole down, and make cut No. 6 have the appearance of cut No. 5. It 
does not tear the foot apart, as many would suppose ; it simply lets 
the sole down to its natural and proper place, as it originally was. In 
doing this every degree, no matter how small you change or expand 
the foot, the circle of the foot grows larger. There are three ways to 
do this : The first is to pull the shoes off, dress the feet, so as to let 
the horse's body go back on the base if he is off, so the weight will be 
in center of feet; dress the feet, all slanting toward the point of frog; 
keep the frog cut away, so it will not touch the ground; drive with 
no shoes. The second is in expanding with shoes, and the principles 
are all laid down. The third is in expanding with shoe. The last 
does the work in a few days. The other two processes are slow. 
They cannot all be cured in that way. The second process is in 
expanding the foot by the horse's weight with shoes ; and the last is 
by spreading, as shown in cuts No. 1 and 8. 




Cut No, 1 shows the arch-shape the bottom of the foot will ass\ime 
when contraction takes place. This little simple skeleton-cut is to 
show you the whole business of expansion and contraction. The 
straight line, B B, is to represent the ground. Arched line, A, and 
C C, shows the sole of, or bottom of, the foot raised up. A is sup- 
posed to be in the center of the foot at point of frog, but it is not, and 
there are few that are perfectly true. F is to show the frog under A, 
Now I want to expand the foot and settle the frog down to straight 
line, B B. Suppose I put weight (no matter what kind) on this 
arched line. A, and the arched line above was not made fast at 
points, B B, where arch-line. A, forms fulcrum, arch-line, A, would 
be likely to settle ; and if it did it would spread the foot and con- 
tinue to do so until the frog came to a rest on the ground. lu 



THE HORSES RESCUE. 



835 



case the foot had shoes on that raised the frog up it would be 
Hkely to dish the wrong way. 

In shoeing to expand the foot or to expand it in any other way, 
it should be prepared in the same way as shown in this cut — work 
from the center. At point, C C, an arched line, A, is to show how 
the foot should be dressed when shoeing to let the sole come down 
to flat rest on shoe. When the frog came to rest on the ground 
all would be right. Putting on a spreading shoe, the foot must be 

prepared the same. 

]¥o. 8. 



' //// ' 'II , 




Cut No. 8 shows a very good shoe for expanding a foot and 
holding it. This is the best way to work on contracted feet. I 
can put them where I want them and hold them until they settle 
and grow. This shoe is concave, dear out to the edge, so as to 
let the sole down, except a little flat rest at the heels. This shoe 
is only for a temporary use. The lips raised at the heels are to 

Wo. 9. 




336 THE horse's rescue. 

fit inside of heel, so as to spread right at the heels. After the 
horse has worn these shoes a few months, and had his feet spread, 
other shoes can be used. There are many kinds of shoes to expand 
horse's feet. This shoe I like tlie best. 

Cut No. 9 shows the runover-foot, caused by unequal weight on 
the double heel. One is higher than the other, and, rolled under, 
that turns the toe in and out. The best place to see how that is is 
to look at the horses; there you can see it ten times better. And 
if you want to see how this expansion and contraction works, take 
a piece of stiff paper, strike circle the size of the horse's foot, cut 
out a goring-piece runmng to point in the center, about the size of 
the frog, then close up the space, you will see it Avill raise in the 
center in the form of a cone ; let it down a small degree, mark 
around the circle; do that way several times until it comes down 
to a tiat rest; you can see the circle is growing larger every time 
you let it down. This is the way this works on all feet. It is all 
summed up in leverage. To illustrate this a little more, in order to 
make all as clear as I carv, I will take one leg and foot of the 
horse. The foot is the base, or foundation, figuratively. We will 
say the leg is a column. If you want it to stand perpendicular you 
must make the bottom of the base true and work from the center. 
There must be a center perpendicular line pointing to the center of 
this earth, and you must do your work so your column will balance, if 
you want it to stand, and it must balance all around the center. 
This is the way the dressing on the bottom of a horse's foot must be 
done. Remember, you are working around a center; when you are 
paring the bottom of the foot of the horse you can throw him off of 
balance all around the center of his foot by cutting away the bot- 
tom of the base, and it is all leverage-balancing in all ways over a 
center or fulcrum of leverages. 

Now I will try to convey to you how these fulcruras of levers 
work, and what shape they throw the horse in has already been 
told many tiroes. There is a horizontal fulcrum at the center of 
the foot raising and lowering in the center. There are three ful- 
crums of levers at the 'toe of the foot, caused by contraction and 
improper work done on the feet, throwing the horse off of balance 
in many ways, and there should be none to hold him there. If all is 
in harmony he will bo balanced in the centers all over ; then he can 
take the advantage of this lever-power at will and balance and throw 
his weight back and forward, and in all ways, around the great 



THK HORSES RESCUK. 



337 



fulcrum of levers shown in cut No. 10. At point C he cnn tlirow his 
weight forward and back of fulcrum, A; and if he is balanced m 
the center he can turn on the great center and fulcrum and roll 
hiraselx in all ways; and, doing thia, he rolls a great drive- wheel 
and a circle of them ; and in his turnings and changing he rolls a 
ball of circles around him. If he wants to hold a load that is 
crowding him, and stop it going down a hill, he throws his weight 
back of the center, A, In-- bracing forward all of liis legs. The more 
the load crowds the more he will get the balance of leverage by 
throwing his weight back of center, A, as is shown in cut No. 2. 
If he is all right he must be so he can tlirow liis weight always 
around the great fulcrum, C, and perpendicular center-line. B. The 
levers must be equal, as shown in cut No. 10 from center, A, to 

]\o. 10. 




P. P. If .they are ho Chn rotate (D D line) bot'i woy. a^vi nil 
"t^ays to lin©,' Vj E, arou'i d the -^ren center, C. This vholo 'i-iisi- 



838 THE horse's rescue. 

ness is summed up in leverage, the balance around a center of lever- 
power. 

"We will go to work on the foot, or base, again. The heel is 
double. If you cut those heels one lower than the other, or 
cork or Hiake your shoe of unequal thickness in any way, you 
will throw the weight of the horse luiequal on the double heel by 
throwing weight past the center. Throw it either way, you set a 
fulcrum of levers to work at the toe of the foot. That ought not to 
be there. By constantly throwing and changing the weight from 
,one heel to^the other past the center, that causes the double heel 
to vyork up and down. Those levers form fulcrimi at the toe of the 
foot, constantly expanding or contracting at the heel, and these 
levers form fulcrum at the toe. They act horizontal, the end of 
lever growing on the toe of foot, tlie sole raising in the center. 
Tliere is another fulcrum of levers, all working together, with the 
one on the end of toe forming fulcrum with another at the center 
of foot, right over the coffin-joint, one lifting, one pulling down, 
throwing the horse off his base, as shown in cut No, 2. This tip- 
back and pull-down lever has a double action : it works both ways 
from its fulcruras; it tips the horse over on Jiis nose sometimes. 
I can prepare and iron any horse's feet and throw liim over back- 
ward, and no power can make him stand, and I will do it with a 
lever. I can do it m this way: Cup out the feet, iron them, take a 
pair of tongs, and close the shoes togetlier. That is done with 
lever-power. It will raise the sole of the foot in tlie center, 
throw the horse off of balance, and liold him. I can throw him 
over back, and down. Tlie Creator of him cannot raise him. I 
will not put anything on him only the slices He muse lie there 
until I use the lever again. This time I expand the foot (that is 
done with a lever), let him go back on the base, and tlie shoes are 
lever.* forming fulcrums at the toe. These principles all work the 
same on all feet and all horses and mules. 

To close up this long s'ory, I will tell yon how many centers and 
fulcrums of leverages there are in the horse to be thrown out of 
center and in center, caused by expansion and contraction, leverage, 
runover-f eet, , iuiproper dressing of the four bases or foundation of 
the horse, throwing the horse off his four bases, th^o^ying him off 
of balance, in many degrees and ways. There are thirty-five, one 
jit whirlbone, stifle, gambrel. ankle, pastern, and coffin-Joint. These 
are the hind-centers on one leg. There is the same number for- 



THE horse's rescue. 389 

ward. And tliere are four legs, six on each, twenty-four in all, 
one in the center at A. one at fulcrum, E, one at R. These are 
perpendicular-centers. There are eight horizontal-centers to be 
kept in harmony — the center of the sole of the foot at pomt of 
frog, one at the toe of foot ; four feet, eight in all. In nearly all of 
these centers there is a double action of levers both ways, tlirowu 
out of center by contraction and other causes, which I have ex- 
plained enough. And I will close this long story, and the result of 
my forty-one, and most forty-two, years' labor has simmered this 
whole business down to a very simple process, curing all the ail- 
ments I treat on in this work ; and that little process on the bases 
of the horse throws the whole entire machinery out of center and 
harmony of action; and all are, by worlcing on the feet on the prin- 
ciple laid down in this w^ork, thrown in harmony of action, and no 
medicin is required to do this wonderful work. The difficulty these 
poor horses has been in (I know not how long) has puzzled the 
brains of millions of men for hundreds of years, and yet the process 
is very simple. All that is required to do this work is warm 
water, a little cow mamire (ox manure will do as well), a reasonable 
amount of good brains and good judgment, physical force, courage, 
and patience. If there is any man, or men, teaching curing horses 
(that are troubled with the ailments that I have mentioned in this 
work) on any other principles than are laid down in this book, they 
are not right, and I know it, and I will be quahfied before any 
magistrate and before a multitude of people that the principles to 
work on the horses to cure them of the ailments that I treat on, 
laid down in this book, are all right if they are done right and 
carried out. Now just think a little and you will see you have 
got the prevention, and that is worth more than the cure. 

Your humble servant, 

GERARD *)OAN. 



APPENDIX. 

I thought my book was finished, yet there are a few more truths 
I would like to publish in this work. To begin, I will say I leave 
you the key with which I unlocked this great mystery, and which 
cost me so many years of hard labor to find. This mystery has 
deformed the suffering liorse and held him so. The key is expanding 
and mastering the base of the horse, his feet. Reader, you must 
begin there if you ever unlock this great science, which ought to 
be easy for you. now that you have the key. 

This appendix is to show my powers of endurance and to put 
the cap-sheaf on the last of this work. While in New York super- 
intending the getting up of this work I put up at what I supposed 
to be a respectable liousa It had on the front and both sides 
'' Hotel." It turned out to be one of tlie lowest sinks of debauch- 
ery a man ever stepped in. I was so engaged in my work that I 
did not take much notice of what was taking place around me. I 
made contracts with parties, advanced money, and set men at work 
on my book, and they were to draw on me as the work pro- 
gressed. f-Afler my work was nicely begun, some parties in this 
hotel tried to rob me by using chloroform. I went to the keeper of 
this den for redress, but could get no satisfaction. I told him I 
would expose liis ranch, and went for a policeman. lie told me 
he would take care of me. I went with him. He took me to the 
station. After getting me inside, two at one time went in my 
pockets and robbed me of my money, pocketbook, and contents, 
and not one word would they hear from me. I offered to take 
them to D. M. Bennett's printing-office and to Prof. Rawson's, whera 



APPENDIX. 841 

I was getting work done. No use talking. I was locked iu a 
cell. I was taken out of there bound, jammed into a wagon on 
my back ; dragged out of that and put iu a hand-wagon, and from 
thence dragged into the Bellevue Hospital, where for many days 
I was tortured on a stretclier, kicked in the face when bound, and 
treated in the most cruel manner possible; pronounced insane; 
chalked for the asylum. I escaped, and reason is on its ihione 
yet, and I have had more powers of endurance than any horse 
tliat erer lived, and liave published this work, fulfilled my contracts 
with men in New York, and still I sail and the world moves for 
all that. I am going to publish a book and give the true account 
of the brutahty I experienced. GERARD DOAXE. 



AGENTS WANTED 

To introduce and sell this work, 

"He Horse's Rescue," 

Throughout this (or should be), our 

GREAT REPUBLIC. 



I will set off territory, towns, counties, and sup- 
ply agents with books, and give them an 

EQUAL CHANCE WITH MYSELF. 

This will be a rare chance to make some money. 

That is the only inducement that I can hold out. The 

retail price of this work will be $1.50. For further 

particulars address 

GERARD DOAN, 

Fleming, Cayuga Co., N. Y. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 866 795 4 

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